Why does AAP want an alliance with Congress in Delhi?

Atharva Pandit
Moneycontrol News 

The possibility of an alliance between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress in Delhi for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls has been on the table for long.

Experts have stated that while it is clear from AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's statements that the party wants an alliance, the Congress is not as enthusiastic.

But the question that observers and even AAP leaders seem to be asking is why is AAP pushing for an alliance in the first place.

After the late night Opposition meeting at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's residence in New Delhi on February 13, Kejriwal had said Congress has "more or less" ruled out an alliance with the party in the national capital.

"We are very worried about the nation, so we are more keen (on an alliance). The Congress has almost said no to an alliance," Kejriwal had said while addressing reporters after the meet.

However, according to AAP leaders working on the ground, even those strategising the party's Lok Sabha campaign are not aware why AAP has been pushing for an alliance with Congress. "Nobody is really sure of why the top leadership is so keen on an alliance with the Congress," an AAP leader involved with the party's strategy team told Moneycontrol.

On Congress' part, leaders privy to the talks at Pawar's house told Indian Express that the Congress does not want an alliance because of AAP's open hostility with the party in Delhi.

For instance, Kejriwal had said on January 7 that people should vote against Congress. "Don’t vote for the Congress at all, if you vote for the Congress it will strengthen Narendra Modi. Let not your vote split and give all seven MPs to the AAP," Kejriwal had said.

Delhi sends seven MPs to Lok Sabha. All the seven seats were swept by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the last general elections. According to those familiar with developments, AAP is mulling Raghav Chadha, Atishi Marlena and Dilip Pandey's names as candidates, but is yet to finalise the rest of the names.

"They want an alliance in Delhi because they won’t be able to win a single seat without our support. We have improved tremendously and Dikshit’s popularity will help us more," a Delhi Congress leader told Indian Express. Apart from that, the report states that Congress leaders have also told party President Rahul Gandhi that its vote share in Delhi has been rising, which will work in Congress' favor.

"It is clear that if the Congress does not agree to an alliance in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, votes will get split and the BJP will win again. What is the point of the Congress trying to increase its vote share?" an AAP leader said while speaking to the newspaper.

The report states that while Congress leaders do not want an alliance, top AAP leaders are not sure about one either. A top party leader told the newspaper that if the party goes with Congress during the Lok Sabha polls, it would be difficult for AAP to campaign against Congress in Assembly elections.

"The 2013 win for AAP was after a campaign against Sheila Dikshit-led government. To push the workers who campaigned against her into an alliance with a party led by her would not be advisable," an AAP worker told Moneycontrol.

Observers feel that an alliance between AAP and Congress would be beneficial for both the parties.

"It is crystal clear that if an alliance between Congress and AAP takes place in Delhi, the alliance will sweep 7-0," Partha Das, a political observer, told Moneycontrol. "In Delhi, the situation is such that an alliance is sure to sweep all seven seats. Otherwise, it's 7-0 for BJP," he added.