Cong rubbishes talk of alliance with AAP

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 8

The Congress on Friday dismissed any possibility of an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, saying it had nothing to do with the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit in the state.

Speaking to The Tribune, Congress incharge for Punjab Asha Kumari said: “Rumours are being spread over a Congress-AAP alliance in the state. I wish to say with all the authority at my command that this talk is baseless and false. It is an attempt of our political rivals to destabilise the Congress government in Punjab. We have never had talks with AAP nor do we plan to have any.”

A similar message isolating AAP came from Delhi some days ago when Delhi Congress president Ajay Makan said the party needed no alliance with Kejriwal.

In Punjab, the Congress is particularly well placed with a two-third majority in the Assembly and with a huge win in its kitty in the recent Shahkot Assembly bypoll, an Akali Dal bastion.

“We have won the Shahkot seat for the first time since 1962. There was one more occasion when we won this segment but that was by default since the Akali Dal had boycotted the elections. The AAP candidate, on the other hand, lost his deposit. Why would we talk to AAP?” a surprised Asha Kumari asked.

Earlier today, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar trashed talks of a pact with AAP. “We completely reject the news of Congress and AAP alliance in Punjab. This is a work of fiction and is purely a rumour being advanced by people with vested interests, especially in the wake of Shahkot debacle with the agenda of trying to remain relevant,” Jakhar said.

Talks about Congress-AAP bonhomie were triggered in the recently concluded Budget Session of Parliament when AAP leader in Lok Sabha Bhagwant Mann was routinely spotted in the company of Jakhar. AAP has four Lok Sabha MPs. Of these, Patiala MP Dharamvir Gandhi and Fatehgarh Saheb MP Harinder Khalsa were suspended for anti-party activities in 2015. The remaining two are Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann and Faridkot MP Sadhu Singh.

Laddi meets Rahul 

The recently elected Congress MLA from Shahkot Hardev Singh Laddi met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Friday. He was accompanied by Asha Kumari, who called it a courtesy visit.