AAP to ‘take call’ on coalition later this month

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 10

The AAP is still to take a final call on being a part of the opposition coalition, largely seen as a political compulsion to prevent the formidable establishment-led by Narendra Modi from returning to power in the 2019 general elections even as party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday attended the opposition parties’ meeting called to discuss the way forward.

The decision is likely to be taken during its meeting of political affairs committee later this month when the AAP would also discuss and work out the contours of its possible alliances with regional parties in states in run-up to the Lok Sabha polls so as to boost its political status at a national level.

Kejriwal’s presence at the crucial meeting — a day before the winter session of Parliament coinciding with the date of announcement of results of the five state Assembly elections — to bolster the show of strength by the anti-BJP camp, thus cannot be construed as abandoning its anti-Congress sentiment and be treated as mere optics.

Speaking to The Tribune, AAP’s Haryana in-charge Naveen Jaihind said the party will decide on the alliance (due to its objection to Congress) for the Lok Sabha polls during next political affairs committee meeting in the capital on December 29-30.

While in Haryana, the AAP is open to join hands with any front working on people’s issues and towards a “change in the system” other than the Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD and the Congress with the Delhi's ruling party pitching hard against the two over teachers' recruitment scam and alleged land deals, respectively.