AAP and Congress have finally agreed to have a pre-poll alliance for a joint fight against BJP on Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats, sources from both parties confirmed to Mail Today on Friday.

A three-point formula awaits Congress president Rahul Gandhi's okay, and a formal announcement will be made once he's back in town within a couple of days. The agreement comes after senior Congress leader and the party's goto man in Delhi, PC Chacko, had two meetings with AAP Rajya Sabha MP

Sanjay Singh. Both haven't commented on the deal. But Mail Today has learnt about the formula, the first point of which says Congress will amend its election manifesto to include a demand that Delhi be granted full statehood status. This is one of AAP's main poll planks.

The second point is AAP will cede the same number of seats in Delhi as Congress does in Haryana. As per the last point, both parties won't have any alliance in Punjab as they feel BJP is weak in that state. BJP holds all Lok Sabha seats in Delhi that goes to polls on May 12. Punjab has 13 seats, including four of AAP's. Haryana has 10, eight held by BJP.

"Leaders from both parties have agreed on a three-point formula. Our surveys have shown that BJP is weak in Punjab so we are limiting the alliance to Delhi and Haryana. And Congress has to add our statehood demand to its manifesto. We will give them as many seats in Delhi as we get in Haryana," a top AAP leader told Mail Today. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has started its campaign and declared candidates for all seven constituencies in the Capital, accusing Congress of indecisiveness.

Senior AAP leader and the party's Delhi unit chief, Gopal Rai, however, said any alliance will depend on Congress's decision whether or not to include the statehood demand in its manifesto. "There will be no alliance if they (Congress) do not put the statehood demand in their manifesto," he told Mail Today.

On the other hand, leaders in Congress' Delhi unit have remained divided. Those not in favour of a tie-up feel they need to stay anti-AAP ahead of the 2020 Delhi assembly elections. Former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken leads the pro-alliance faction, while current president

Sheila Dixit drives the other one. The party has shortlisted its candidates. BJP, on its part, is whiling away time, perhaps waiting for an official announcement from its two rivals. But Congress is also confirming that it's finally moving towards a tie-up with AAP. "There have been two meetings of Delhi Congress leaders with Rahul Gandhi. We hope a decision is taken in a day or two," said a senior Congress leader.

AAP feels a tie-up would consolidate anti-BJP votes in Delhi. For Congress leaders opposing it, an alliance would mean sharing the burden of anti-incumbency.

AAP MANIFESTO BY APRIL 25

AAP has constituted a seven member committee led by Delhi's deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, to draft its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls. The manifesto will have AAP's statehood demand as a priority. The manifesto, said AAP leaders, will be released on or before April 25.

"It will primarily cover our statehood demand. It will mention the Delhi government's achievements and problems it faced. It will explain how full statehood status would have avoided those problems and how it will have additional benefits for Delhi's development," Rai said.