Will Cong tie up with INDIA bloc partner AAP for Delhi, Haryana assembly polls? Jairam Ramesh says…
Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra are slated to go for polls later this year, while assembly elections in Delhi will be held early next year
The Congress on Thursday ruled out an alliance with INDIA bloc partner Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for upcoming assembly elections in Haryana and Delhi.
"There is no INDIA 'janbandhan' in Punjab. In Haryana, we had given one seat to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Lok Sabha polls but I don't think that INDIA janbandhan will be there for assembly polls. In Delhi, the AAP itself has said that INDIA janbandhan will not be there for assembly polls," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh told PTI.
Asked specifically as to whether there would be an alliance in Haryana and Delhi, Ramesh said, "There is no scope (for alliance) in Delhi and Haryana."
Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra are slated to go for polls later this year, while assembly elections in Delhi will be held early next year.
Last month, Delhi minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai had made it clear that the party's alliance with the Congress was only for Lok Sabha elections. “The INDIA bloc was only for contesting the Lok Sabha polls. Several parties fought elections together and A was also a part of it. As of now, there is no alliance for the Delhi Assembly polls,” he had told PTI.
The Congress and AAP had contested the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi together. The grand old party had fought on three seats, while AAP contested on four. However, the alliance failed to win a single seat in the capital.
Few days ago, a Congress leader had blamed the AAP for the alliance's disastrous showing in the Lok Sabha elections in the capital. “I believe if we had not contested the elections with them, then Congress' seats would have increased in the elections. Because of the Excise scam, the Congress suffered a loss in the Lok Sabha elections,” Congress leader Abhishek Dutt told ANI.