Sources said the New Delhi seat remains contentious since both parties want to contest from there. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra) Sources said the New Delhi seat remains contentious since both parties want to contest from there. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Talks of a possible alliance between Congress and AAP in Delhi appeared to regain momentum Saturday, with senior Congress leaders saying its Delhi unit is warming up to the idea “for the larger national interest”.

Sources said the message has been conveyed to the Delhi unit that a tie-up is on the cards, though seat sharing details are yet to be chalked out. The formula being discussed is both parties fielding candidates in three seats each, and a joint candidate being given a ticket in the seventh. Sources said the New Delhi seat remains contentious since both parties want to contest from there.

After a meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit had announced on March 4 that the party will fight alone. This led to a sharp reaction from CM Arvind Kejriwal, who accused the Congress of putting its own interests ahead of the nation’s. But a senior leader said the dynamic has changed since then. The Congress last week conducted a survey of 52,000 Delhi party workers to seek their opinion on an alliance.

AICC general secretary P C Chacko said: “Nothing is final yet. A final decision will be announced in the coming week by Rahul ji. The internal poll’s result has been communicated to him.”

Rajesh Lilothia, a working president of the DPCC, said: “Hypothetically, if an alliance is formed, the state unit will closely work on the roadmap and will be asked to decide on the seats. “

“Nothing can be imposed on DPCC. But if Rahul ji will ask us to accept the plan, we will have to do it. We are his soldiers. Having said that, we know how much weightage he gives to opinion of workers,” he added.

AAP’s Sanjay Singh said: “It is incumbent upon the Congress to help save the country… We haven’t heard anything from them. Whatever we have heard is only through the media.”

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