After talks fail over seats, Congress rejects any alliance with AAP in Delhi

New Delhi: After much drama over so-called talks on seat sharing in Delhi for the May elections, Congress state chief Sheila Dikshit brought the curtains down, claiming there has been a unanimous decision in the party to reject any offers for an alliance.

Reports earlier suggested the Congress was interested in a pact with AAP, though the ruling party had already announced its candidates for six of the seven parliamentary seats in Delhi.

Reports suggested the AAP was ready to give the Congress 2 seats – one where there would be a friendly fight between joint candidates – but the Congress wanted 3 seats.

Talks must have fallen through which prompted Dikshit to reject an alliance deal.

Congress’s Ahmed Patel and AAP’s Sanjay Singh were chief negotiators for the alliance formation.

In a recent public meeting, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he was “tired” of convincing the Congress for an alliance in general elections to defeat BJP.

“If there is an alliance, the BJP will lose all the seven Lok Sabha seats it currently has in Delhi," Kejriwal said at a recent rally. "I don't know what they have in their minds," he further said.

In 2014 general elections, BJP won all seven seats of Delhi but AAP found tremendous support. In 2015 assembly elections, AAP won 67 of Delhi’s 70 seats, the Congress drew a blank.