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Lok Sabha elections 2019: Congress trying to divide anti-BJP votes, says AAP
Delhi goes to polls on May 12. So far, AAP is the only party to have announced their candidates for all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital. The party launched its campaign on March 23, with the primary poll plank being full statehood for Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday criticised the Congress for “targeting” the opposition parties instead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections. At a time when prospects of the much speculated alliance between AAP and Congress in Delhi seem grim, AAP’s Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai accused the national party of trying to “split” anti-BJP votes.
Rai’s comments have come hours after Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced that he would be contesting the elections from the Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala, apart from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi seat. “There appears to be a contradiction between the Congress’ publicly stated strategy of getting rid of the Modi government and its intentions. Anti-BJP parties are unable to understand what the Congress wants to achieve. Is the Congress even serious about removing a dictatorial regime?” Rai said.
“Instead of concentrating attention on removing a dictatorial and anti-federal regime, the Congress seems to be dividing votes where the anti-BJP forces are strong. Look at what the Congress is doing in Delhi, UP, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh,” the senior AAP leader said.
Citing Delhi’s example, Rai said the Congress has been “in a state of confusion” for the last three months. “The Congress is unable to decide whether it wants to defeat the BJP or not,” he said.
“Now by going to Kerala, where the Left Front is strong and the BJP has no presence, what signal is the Congress giving? Why not some other states such as Karnataka or Tamil Nadu,” Rai asked. Instead of concentrating on states where there is a direct BJP-Congress fight, the Congress is attacking regions which have presence of strong anti-BJP forces, he added.
Responding to the allegations, Delhi Congress spokesperson Jitender Kochar blamed the AAP for “dividing” Congress’ votes to benefit the BJP. “This can be clearly seen in all the previous elections. In Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, etc, AAP fielded its candidates to divide Congress’ votes. Even in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal had said that if Congress can win all seven seats, then they will withdraw all their candidates. Why haven’t they done that yet? Favouring the BJP is the work of AAP,” Kochar said.
Delhi goes to polls on May 12. So far, AAP is the only party to have announced their candidates for all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital. The party launched its campaign on March 23, with the primary poll plank being full statehood for Delhi.
Talks between the Congress and the AAP for an alliance in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab have been going on for nearly six months now. But, the Congress is yet to give a final word on the poll pact despite repeated offers from the AAP. In several public meetings, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had even said that his party is “tired” of proposing an alliance to the Congress “again and again”.
The Congress has been divided over the decision with its Delhi unit led by former three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit vehemently opposing it. The party’s central leadership, however, has been in favour of an alliance. But on Sunday, speculations were rife that the party has finally decided not to go for an alliance as it has reportedly shortlisted three names for each of the seven constituencies.
