AAP-Congress alliance: AAP accuses Congress of 'backtracking'

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday blamed the Congress for unsuccessful alliance talks between the two parties, saying they tried hard but the Congress 'backtracked'.

"We tried very hard to forge an alliance with the Congress. We were ready to accept their every demand for Haryana and Punjab, but still, they backtracked. We cannot do anything more, the talks of alliance with Congress are over. We know, this will help BJP, but we simply don't have any choice left," said AAP leader Gopal Rai at a press conference here.

Rai also said the Congress is trying to divide the votes of the opposition, which will help the BJP. However, he expressed hope that the voters of Delhi will not pay any heed to the Congress and hand over a complete washout to the party like it did in 2015 assembly elections.

"By dividing votes of the opposition, like in Uttar Pradesh and other states too, the Congress wants to benefit BJP. Despite our best intentions, Congress has gone back to its old ways and seeking to snatch some votes from us in Delhi. But, the voters have now realized their tricks and will ensure their total wipeout from Delhi," Rai said.

A day earlier, Delhi deputy chief minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia, signaled that the Congress' stance on seat-sharing was making the situation 'hopeless.'

Congress leader PC Chacko also had said that the alliance talks weren't fruitful between the two parties.

After failing to convince the Congress to enter into an alliance, AAP will fight in Delhi on its own. However, it has entered into a coalition with Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) for elections in Haryana.

Both Delhi and Haryana will see voting in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 12. The counting of votes will begin on May 23.