Congress-Arvind Kejriwal alliance AAP-solutely tricky

NEW DELHI: As AAP sets out to form government with "outside support" from Congress, an overeager arch-rival, tension between the two is set to grow. Protests within Congress over the move are fast coming out in the open.

Soon after Arvind Kejriwal met the LG to stake claim to form government, rumours of a Congress rethink emerged. The party brass denied any move to withdraw support, but angry workers protested outside the DPCC headquarters.

AAP's anti-corruption campaign was born out of discontent with the corruption-ridden politics of Congress and BJP. Despite taking Congress support, AAP said it had nothing in common with its ally.

In its journey from main spoiler to key player, AAP's relationship with Congress has always been that of bitter rivalry . After the poll that voted out Sheila Dikshit's government, Congress tried to corner AAP offering it 'outside support'. A day before Kejriwal was to meet the LG to express inability to form government because he did not have the numbers, Congress wrote to the LG, offering support if AAP took up the task.




Till recently, Kejriwal vehemently opposed a tie-up with Congress or BJP. "I swear on my children there can be no tie-up between us. We are fi ghting the election against these scam-ridden parties," he said. From then till now, the language is slightly toned down but the party insists it has nothing to do with Congress. "We are forming government because people of Delhi want us to and take up the challenge thrown at us by Congress and BJP," Kejriwal said on Monday. Party leader Manish Sisodia added his party was working with Congress only as partners to solve Delhi's problems.

Senior Congress members had always dismissed AAP saying it was not even a competitor worth mention in the elections. Dikshit had taken a swipe at the party, calling them monsoon pests. Its support surprised the people of Delhi and AAP leaders in equal measure.

Shortly after the poll results were declared, AAP leader Kumar Vishwas announced: "Salman Khurshid called us gutter ka keeda, Sheilaji called us monsoon ka keeda. I would like to tell them, your association with keedas is not good. Keep your proposal to yourself."

Kejriwal then threw another surprise writing an 18-point letter to Congress, asking for the party's support on its main campaign points before it could consider an alliance. Congress retaliated and fielded its elected MLAs to sharpen its attack on AAP for misleading the public as 16 of the 18 issues were executive decisions. On the remaining two, Congress said it would back AAP.

On Monday, Dikshit said: "We had promised outside support. We congratulate him (Kejriwal ). We have extended support so that Delhi's people can get some relief." She clarified: "We have not promised unconditional support. We knew that some promises AAP made are not deliverable, but people had faith. I wish them well."

While AAP decided to accept Congress support, the Congress too got ready to tell people how AAP was "misleading" people. "I will take the party's message about all Congress has done in Delhi to the people. We will tell them how BJP and AAP are misleading people," new DPCC chief Arvinder Singh said. Post a comment