Lok Sabha elections 2019| Will support pact with AAP even if I have to let go New Delhi seat: Ajay Maken

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Updated: Mar 24, 2019 08:48 IST

Former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken on Saturday said he would support an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi even if he was not fielded as a candidate from the New Delhi constituency, which he has represented twice in the Lok Sabha.

Both the AAP and Congress are working on the possibility of an alliance in the Lok Sabha polls but the claim over New Delhi constituency has been one of the issues of disagreement between the two, senior Congress leaders said.

Maken said for the larger interest, he was willing to give up the constituency— he has been campaigning in the area ever since he gave up the post of Delhi Congress chief— if the party leadership so decides.

“I have expressed my support for the alliance and my personal candidature comes after this,” he said on Saturday.

While the Congress is yet to announce candidates for the seven seats in the national capital, Maken has been conducting public meetings and discussions with residents’ welfare associations, traders, slum dwellers and other groups in the constituency.

“I have been conducting these meetings in the capacity of a two-time MP from the area and a former Cabinet minister. The idea was to get things moving on the campaign front for the party and it was not for pre-empting anything,” he said.

Senior Congress leaders said the party was likely to announce the alliance with AAP in the next 48 hours. “We might hear something positive on the alliance by Sunday evening. (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi will be meeting some senior leaders and we hope a decision is taken,” PC Chacko, Delhi Congress in-charge, said.

Senior leaders of the Congress and AAP, who have been mediating the talks to form the alliance, said the New Delhi constituency is one of the seats over which both parties have laid a claim.

The AAP has been insisting on a 5:2 seat distribution (five for AAP and two for Congress), but the Congress has stuck to its demand for a 3:3:1 seat sharing arrangement (three for AAP, three for Congress and one for an independent).

In either of the cases, the New Delhi constituency is likely to slip away from Congress.

Meanwhile, the AAP said the Congress has “been on the brink” of an alliance several times before as well. “There is a trust deficit as Congress leaders have been making contradictory comments. For 15 days this month, we analysed the Congress’ attitude towards our alliance offer. After that, the AAP took a decision to fight the elections on its own,” Gopal Rai, AAP’s Delhi unit convener, said.

Rai also said the party is no longer in any “official talks” with the Congress. “There are no talks happening. How can an announcement happen without involving the other party concerned? How can they announce an alliance tomorrow when we are not aware of it?”

When asked if senior party leader and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh is still in touch with leaders of other opposition parties, Rai said, “What leaders talk at their personal level cannot be considered as the party’s stand. AAP is going to contest the seven Delhi seats alone on the issue of full statehood.”