Congress and AAP resume talks on alliance in Delhi: Sources

Amid the ongoing tussle within the Delhi Congress on whether to form an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it has been found that the Congress and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party have re-commenced talks on discussing the seat-sharing formula for the seven Lok Sabha seats on Thursday.

AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh met PC Chacko, in charge of Delhi for All India Congress Committee, leading to speculations of a tie-up between both the parties on Wednesday evening.

Sources in both the parties claimed that the ruling AAP has proposed to provide two seats to the Congress party which instead has demanded three, being that of New Delhi, Chandni Chowk, and North East Delhi.

It has also been reported that the offer from the AAP will be conveyed by Chacko to Congress president Rahul Gandhi who will further make a decision on the issue in the next few days.

The AAP has been aiming for a tie-up with the Congress in order to defeat the BJP and replace the PM Modi-led government.

While the likes of Ajay Maken (former DPCC president) and PC Chacko are in favor of joining hands with the ruling party in Delhi for the upcoming polls, former state CM Sheila Dikshit and her camp seem to be against it.

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Sheila Dikshit, a former three-time Delhi CM and now DPCC president, had written a letter to Rahul Gandhi when talks of an alliance became stagnant.

"(Sheila) Dikshit and the working presidents have urged the Congress chief not to have an alliance with the AAP, saying it will harm the party in the long run," said a Delhi Congress leader.

However, AICC spokesperson PC Chacko, only a few days back, iterated that working with the AAP will benefit the Congress against the BJP.

"As far as I know there are senior leaders in Delhi who think that defeating BJP is party's immediate responsibility; for it we should form an alliance with AAP, that's the thinking of the majority of leaders," he added.

(With PTI inputs)