Serious differences in Delhi Cong on alliance with AAP

Serious differences cropped up in the Delhi Congress over joining hands with the AAP, with state leadership writing to Congress president Rahul Gandhi against any such move.

Delhi Congress president Shiela Dikshit and three working presidents Haroon Yusuf, Rajesh Lilothia and Devendra Yadav have conveyed to Rahul against having an alliance with Arvind Kejriwal's AAP.

The four leaders also expressed displeasure over a survey conducted by AICC-in-charge P C Chacko eliciting views of the party workers on an alliance with the AAP after the Delhi unit had unanimously rejected it during a meeting with Rahul.

“Dikshit and the working presidents have urged the Congress president against having an alliance with the AAP, arguing that it will harm the party in the long run,” said a Delhi Congress leader.

The survey sought views of around 52,000 Delhi Congress workers on whether they supported the party's alliance with the AAP in Delhi or not.

Chacko had said earlier that a report of the survey would be submitted to the Congress president who would take a final call on the issue.

Rahul had on two occasions— first at a press conference and later at a public meeting— made it clear that Congress will contest on all the seven seats in the national capital.

However, a section of the senior leadership in the Congress favours an alliance with the AAP, failing which they fear that the BJP may repeat its 2014 performance by winning all seven seats in the national capital.