District chiefs, civic leaders write to Rahul Gandhi for tie-up with AAP

NEW DELHI: Sections in Delhi Congress pressing for an

alliance

with the Aam Aadmi Party are exerting their pressure with district party presidents, former state chiefs and party leaders in the municipal corporations writing to party president Rahul Gandhi in favour of a poll pact.


The developments indicate, said party sources, that the leaders who continue to oppose a pact with

AAP

— including former chief minister and state party chief Sheila Dikshit — do not command the majority view.

A decision on a tie-up is awaiting the consideration of Rahul Gandhi with party leaders hoping for clarity soon.

The deliberations within the party have seen those in favour of an alliance arguing that the PCC leadership has not been able to explain whether Congress will be able to win seats in Delhi if it went on its own. Those opposing AAP feel that a tie up compromises prospects for the assembly election due in 2020 while throwing a life line to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

While Congress might be inching towards a poll pact, some Congress leaders feel the test will be whether AAP will actually part with three Lok Sabha seats. The formula that has been aired is Congress and AAP contesting three Lok Sabha seats while agreeing on a “neutral” nominee for the seventh.

Over the last fortnight, strong opposition in Congress led by Dikshit against an alliance with AAP is seen to have continued even though she has not spoken lately. Dikshit had in an interview to TOI, after taking charge as the Delhi president in January, said that she felt AAP is “not reliable”.

While Dikshit and the three working presidents of DPCC, Haroon Yusuf, Rajesh Lilothia and Devendra Yadav, are seen to be unconvinced of an alliance, there has been a growing number of voices for one and their concerns are understood to have struck a chord in the Congress leadership.

Joining ranks with the 14 district presidents and four former PCC chiefs, the three leaders of the Congress in the municipal corporation Mukesh Goyal, Abhishek Dutt and Rinku Jayant are learnt to have written to Rahul Gandhi. The letter of support for an alliance with AAP was submitted to AICC general secretary P C Chacko on Thursday.

There was intense speculation over the Congress top brass taking a decision as Rahul Gandhi is to leave for Bihar and West Bengal on Saturday for a day. However, by night it was clear that any decision on the matter is unlikely now till Rahul Gandhi returns. So, the speculation continues for now.

Those favouring the alliance feel that a tie-up is the only way to give BJP a fight after the

Balakot

air strikes. In view of the swell of public support for the government’s response, it is felt the “negatives” such as demonetisation and GST among the large trader class will not dent BJP’s traditional vote bank significantly.

They feel that an alliance will help consolidate the Aam Aadmi Party supporters who were traditionally the Congress vote bank to give the saffron party a fight in Lok Sabha elections.