New Delhi: The Congress wanted to form an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming Delhi election, but Arvind Kejriwal declared that AAP would fight alone, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said on Saturday.
Addressing the press at the new Congress headquarters, Indira Bhavan, Maken criticised AAP for failing to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi and, in a veiled message to the INDIA allies, said, “People should realise that by weakening Congress, you can’t fight against the BJP.”
Maken, also a former union minister, said that both in Haryana and Delhi, Congress had sought an alliance with AAP. “In both Haryana and Delhi, we wanted an alliance with AAP for the assembly elections. But after coming out of jail, Kejriwal announced that AAP would contest all 90 seats in Haryana, even when our talks were at an advanced stage,” he said.
The Congress and AAP had entered into a seat-sharing pact for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, Haryana, and Gujarat. While Congress won five seats in Haryana, the alliance failed to secure any seats in Delhi. Blaming Kejriwal for the failure to form a pact for Delhi, Maken added, “After the Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal himself said that we would fight alone in Delhi.”
Referring to the BJP’s victories in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in 2014, 2019, and 2024, Maken said, “When (late Delhi CM) Sheila Dikshit was in power, Congress won all 7 Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. We had stopped the BJP in Delhi, and as we know, whoever wins in Delhi wins the Lok Sabha election. But ever since AAP came to power, the BJP has been winning all 7 seats in Delhi and retaining power at the Centre.”
He added, “I feel the Congress’ decision to support AAP in 2014 and enter an alliance with AAP in 2024 led to losses for the people of Delhi.”
Maken also alleged that when Kejriwal makes electoral progress, it helps the BJP. “When Kejriwal progresses, it helps the BJP,” he said, adding that without Congress, others cannot fight the BJP.
“At the national level, a strong Congress is needed to combat the BJP. In the coming days, Congress must grow stronger. AAP has failed to stop the BJP,” Maken said.
Maken’s remarks come as key INDIA bloc parties, such as the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress (TMC), have announced their support for AAP in the Delhi polls, overlooking the Congress party.