INDIA alliance in troubled waters? AAP clashes with Congress over Delhi Lok Sabha seats
alliance ran into several hurdles this week amid preparations for a third INDIA meeting in Mumbai. The crises covered a slew of prominent parties - from the AAP threatening to walk away to persistent rumours that NCP chief Sharad Pawar would join the BJP-led NDA. The Congress found itself sparring with Arvind Kejriwal's AAP on Wednesday after a spokesperson said that the party planned to contest all Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
"No decision has been taken on whether to have an alliance, but we have been asked to prepare ourselves on all seven seats. We will go to the people strongly after preparing ourselves properly in all seven seats," Congress leader Alka Lamba had told reporters. “If they (Congress) don't want to form an alliance in Delhi, then it makes no sense to go for INDIA alliance, it is a waste of time.
The party's top leadership will decide whether or not to attend the next meeting of INDIA alliance," retorted AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakar. The Congress issued a clarification later on Wednesday, insisting that no such decision had been taken thus far. “Alka Lamba is a spokesperson but she is not an authorised spokesperson for talking on such important issues.
I have said as an in-charge that there were no such discussions in the meeting today. I refute Alka Lamba's statement," said AICC in-charge Delhi Congress Deepak Babaria. He also cautioned the AAP against being ‘provoked’ into making ‘unfortunate statements’ as the party threatened to walk out of the INDIA alliance.
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