"When We Have Said...": Congress Reacts To AAP Going Solo For Delhi Poll

The Congress on Monday confirmed what many expected and what AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal said Sunday - there will be no alliance for the Delhi Assembly election due early next year.

Udit Raj, the party's ex-Delhi (North-West) Lok Sabha MP, pointed out that the interim boss of his party's Delhi unit, Devender Yadav, "had already said we will not have any alliance". "When Congress has already said it, then where does this question (of a seat-share deal) arise?

"It means they (the AAP) are afraid and want to create an environment that compromises the Congress. Otherwise, when this has been clarified, then it should not happen again. A week ago, Delhi Congress had said that we would not make an alliance with anyone..." he said.

On Sunday former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ruled out the possibility of an alliance between his party and Congress, or any INDIA bloc partner, for the Delhi election.

"There will be no alliance in Delhi," Mr Kejriwal said at a press conference.

The AAP and Congress fought the Lok Sabha Elections together, but it ended in a debacle as the BJP won all seats. The AAP and Congress were also engaged in seat-sharing talks before the Haryana Assembly elections in October, but the talks failed, and the BJP won the elections.

The AAP-Congress break-up has been mocked by the BJP, which is seen as the AAP's clearest rival in the February election. "After coming together for the Lok Sabha election... they lacked ambition and could not win any seat in Delhi. Now, this is the 'friendship with benefits' model. Here they are saying they will contest against each other but come together in Parliament," Shehzad Ponnawalla said.

The BJP's newest recruit - former AAP leader Kailash Gahlot - also threw in a jab.

"I think people of Delhi have decided to bring the BJP to power. In the Lok Sabha election, there was no impact of alliance (between AAP and the Congress). People of Delhi are troubled due to damaged roads, overflowing sewers and other issues."

Meanwhile, Mr Kejriwal will personally run point on his party's solo bid to win a third consecutive Delhi Assembly election, sources said. The ex-Chief Minister - who resigned September after (finally) securing bail in the alleged liquor policy scam - will "micro-manage" the re-election bid.

READ | AAP "Fishing In Congress' Waters" As Kejriwal Plots Re-Election Bid

That bid has already begun; the AAP has already released a first list of 11 candidates, three of whom are sitting MLAs and have been dropped to ward off the anti-incumbency factor.

Two of the 11 named candidates have recently joined from the Congress.