Congress split over support to AAP

The Congress on Tuesday admitted that the opinion was divided within the party on extending support to the Aam Aadmi Party to form the government in the Capital, but ruled out any change of stand, for now.

The Congress on Tuesday admitted that the opinion was divided within the party on extending support to the Aam Aadmi Party to form the government in the Capital, but ruled out any change of stand, for now.

Some leaders felt that the decision to offer support to AAP without the rookie party asking for it was unwarranted, party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.

There is also a view that the party miscalculated in assuming that AAP leader and now CM-designate Arvind Kejriwal would turn down the Congress and opt not to form the government.

Reflecting the unease within the party over how the issue was handled, Dwivedi said, “There is also an opinion that perhaps the decision to support AAP in this manner was not correct. Some people feel this.”

Many leaders also felt it was not for the Congress to decide who formed the government in the Capital after the assembly elections threw up a split mandate.

“Voters did not expect this from us. Whoever has to form a government should do it with support from whomsoever they want to. We will keep playing the role of an opposition in the limited circumstances,” Dwivedi said.

The senior Congress leader, however, made it clear that the decision would not be reviewed in haste.

“Since now a proposal (to support AAP) has already been made, we have to carry on with that. Perhaps we will have to find out a middle path.”

Following protests by some workers outside the Delhi unit office, a section of the party is convinced that the Congress-AAP tie-up is not sustainable, given the lack of convergence between the two parties. The Congress leaders, however, sidestepped queries on why the support was offered. AAP leaders have been saying repeatedly that they didn’t ask the Congress for support.