Cannot disclose anything, said Dikshit. AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj denied claims of MLAs wanting to leave the party. Cannot disclose anything, said Dikshit. AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj denied claims of MLAs wanting to leave the party.

A day after the Congress officially refused to enter into an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, the grand old party claimed that many AAP MLAs had expressed willingness to join the Congress. Senior leaders from the Congress claimed that nine AAP MLAs are in talks with the leadership, and want to cross over.

According to sources, sacked AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar met Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday. Kumar could not be contacted for a comment.

“There are many MLAs who are unhappy with the way AAP is treating its leaders. Disgruntled members want to be a part of the Congress now. Discussions are on and a final call will be taken by the AICC general secretary PC Chacko and Sheila ji,” DPCC working president Haroon Yusuf claimed.

DPCC spokesperson Jitender Kochar claimed: “Around nine sitting MLAs want to join the Congress. They are in touch with the party and a decision has to be taken on it.”

AAP had removed Kumar, who faces a rape case and is out on bail, from the post of Child Welfare and Social Justice Minister in August 2016. He was later suspended from the primary membership of the party.

At an event on Tuesday, Kumar had lashed out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Dikshit did not comment on the issue. “I cannot disclose anything on this right now,” she said, when contacted.

AAP, meanwhile, denied the Congress’s claims, with a leader claiming it would be tough for Kumar to sway other AAP MLAs.

“No one from the party has a personal or professional equation with Sandeep. Even in the Assembly, not a single MLA except Kapil Mishra acknowledges him,” said AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj.

Things between AAP and Congress had come to a head Tuesday, after the latter virtually put an end to alliance murmurs, saying they will fight Lok Sabha elections in Delhi’s seven constituencies alone.

This prompted AAP to allege that the Congress was putting the party’s interests ahead of the nation’s.

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