Congress rejects talks of alliance with Arvind Kejriwal's AAP, sparks war on Twitter

NEW DELHI: Congress party on Saturday dismissed talks of an alliance with Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Dismissing speculation of an alliance with the AAP, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said Kejriwal was responsible for the rise of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The one who has defamed the Congress and has created a monster called Modi is Arvind Kejriwal. I, as the President of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, on behalf of all the Congress leaders and workers, confirm that no one from our party wants to support Kejriwal. When the people are not supporting him, we will also not support," Maken said.

‘मोदी को RSS के साथ मिलकर केजरीवाल ने खड़ा किया ' https://t.co/Y0OaJx95Mj — Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) June 2, 2018

The clarification came in the wake of media reports that AAP and Congress are reportedly in talks for a Karnataka-like alliance in Delhi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sources also claimed that informal talks between the Congress and AAP started on May 24, with Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken representing the former.

Soon after Maken cleared the air on speculated AAP-Congress alliance, Delhi Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee too came down heavily on the Delhi's ruling party for fabricating false news. Responding to it, the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday asked the Congress to "show guts" and announce its candidates for the seven Delhi Lok Sabha seats for the 2019 general elections.

AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal`s media advisor Nagendar Sharma said, ''Maken, "after being rejected in politics", was trying his hand at psephology.''

"Having led his party to security deposits being lost in 63/70 Delhi constituencies, he is now measuring graphs. Show guts and declare your seats," Sharma tweeted.

Referring to results of the Kairana bypolls lt in Uttar Pradesh, Sharma said that it clearly indicated that non-BJP parties need not be led by the Congress.

"This old party hobnobs with the BJP and treats other parties with disdain. Its Delhi unit is a virtual BJP front," Sharma alleged.

In a sarcastic tweet targeting Congress, Sharma said, ''A joker first day-dreams of three Lok Sabha seats offer, then next day realises nobody on earth will even spare a single seat for a party which finished a poor third on all seven Delhi seats in 2014 and lost its security deposit in four seats."

Delhi Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee too joined the Twitter war and asked the AAP if Kejriwal can openly reject the possibility of an alliance with the Congress.

"Instead of you chirping, let your leader Arvind Kejriwal come out openly and reject the possibility of an alliance. Planting false stories in the media and personal abuses will not lead you anywhere," Mukherjee said.

"(The) AAP is facing an existential crisis. No wonder it is desperate for an alliance with the Congress, a party and its leaders whom Kejriwal abused unabashedly. If he has courage and conviction, let him immediately quash rumours and reject these stories as false as Maken is doing."

She said between the 2015 Assembly and the 2017 MCD elections, the AAP lost vote share by 54.30 percent and the Congress gained by 118.66 percent. 

"No rocket science required to understand which party is losing or gaining ground rapidly. No wonder the AAP is so desperate for an alliance with (the) Congress," she tweeted.

Mukherjee said Maken had been consistently exposing the failures and misdeeds of the AAP government since the last three and a half years. "No wonder, AAP members are crying for his blood."

.@ajaymaken has been consistently exposing failures & misdeeds of AAP govt since last 3.5 years. No wonder AAP members are crying for his blood. AAP+BJP- both are jumla parties & specialise in creating false narratives

— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) June 2, 2018

She said the AAP and the BJP were both "jumla parties and specialise in creating false narratives".

(With Agency inputs)