Arvind Kejriwal ‘unhappy’ with AAP leader’s Sanjay Singh’s attempts to ally with SP

Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 25

AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is reportedly unhappy with party leaders deviating from the party’s line to contest all the assembly seats in forthcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh by indulging in failed attempt to sew up an alliance with Samajwadi Party (SP).

AAP’s sudden move to join the SP-led alliance could be attributed to difference of opinion within the party with regard to its approach to Assembly elections in India’s largest state.

A senior AAP leader connected with preparations for the UP elections said on condition of anonymity that Kejriwal is miffed at party’s Rajya Sabha MP and in-charge of UP affairs Sanjay Singh’s futile attempts for an alliance with Samajwadi Party (SP).

Kejriwal is particularly unhappy at Singh’s move to approach Yadav for inclusion of AAP in the SP-led alliance. Singh allegedly continued with his efforts for an alliance in spite of Yadav giving short-shrift to his proposal for the alliance.

Kejriwal is credited with a view that SP’s behaviour has sent out an embarrassing signal for AAP.

Singh earlier met Yadav with regard to talks for the alliance, reportedly facilitated by the SP leader in Rajya Sabha Ram Gopal Yadav, and submitted a list of 25 seats to be allotted as AAP’s share in the possible alliance between the two parties.

Yadav, however, remained non-committal, and did not meet Singh for the second time. With Yadav playing hard to get at, AAP announced it would contest all the 403 assembly seats in the State solo.

Before Singh tried to open channels with SP, AAP had begun its campaign for the UP elections with a declaration that it would contest alone on all the 403 assembly seats in the state alone. Kejriwal and Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s visit to the state, and their prayers offered to Lord Ram at Ram Janma Bhoomi in Ayodhya.

Subsequently, in a sudden move the party apparently changed course, and Singh initiated talks with SP for an alliance and submitted to him a list of 25 seats for AAP.

The change of course mid-stream fuelled resentment among workers and aspirant candidates to contest elections in several districts.