INDIA alliance pointless if Cong goes solo in Delhi LS polls: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party has said that the INDIA alliance becomes meaningless if the Congress is determined to contest the Delhi Lok Sabha polls independently.

The Congress and AAP are part of the Opposition grouping Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

On Wednesday (August 16),  AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said its top leadership will take a call on attending the Mumbai meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA, following the statement of Congress leader Alka Lamba.

Congress leaders from Delhi on Wednesday held a meeting with the party's top leadership to review its preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections and discussed ways and means to strengthen the organisation.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, who were present at the meeting, asked the party leaders to remain united and connected with people, sources said.

After the meeting, Lamba said they have been given orders to contest on all seven (Lok Sabha) seats in Delhi.

Following her statement, Kakkar said if the Congress wants to fight alone in Delhi, there is no point in attending the INDIA alliance meeting.

"If Congress has made up its mind to fight elections alone in Delhi, there is no point of the INDIA alliance.

"The final decision to attend the next meeting of the INDIA alliance will be taken by the party's top leadership. It was the Congress which approached AAP for forming an alliance in Delhi since they do not have an existence in Delhi," Kakkar told PTI Video.

After AAP's statement, Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary clarified that Wednesday's meeting was not on alliance formation in Delhi and nothing was discussed about it.

"AAP can make assumptions but the decision on alliance will be taken by the AICC central leadership and it will be announced by them. We, as an opposition party here, will raise questions about corruption, " he told PTI.

The next meeting of the opposition alliance is slated to be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. 

(With agency inputs)