Sheila Dikshit turns down AAP alliance offer

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Sheila Dikshit on Friday turned down a proposal to tie-up with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national capital for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Prior to taking a call, Dikshit met partymen at her residence and discussed with them about the proposal.

On Thursday, Dikshit had conveyed the high command's willingness to ally with AAP to leaders of the party. Following this, a meeting was held with party workers at her residence.

After two hours of deliberation, they declined the idea of aligning with AAP for general elections, Dikshit told ANI.

"Top leaders of Congress held discussion over the issue of a tie-up with AAP in Delhi but most of the leaders are not in favour of an alliance with AAP. We will convey our decision to party high command," she added.

Earlier Dikshit had asked AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on what basis he said that his party was tired of convincing the Congress to make an alliance.

"There should be only one candidate against every BJP candidate, votes must not be divided. I am tired of trying to convince Congress for forming an alliance. But they refuse to understand. If today our alliance with Congress is done, BJP will lose all seven seats in Delhi," Kejriwal had said last month at an event in the national capital.

However, Dikshit denied her successor's claims and stated that he has not talked about forming an alliance even once.

"I want to ask Arvind Kejriwal on what basis has he said this because he has not talked about it even once," she said.

Sources in both AAP and Congress earlier claimed that chances of forging an alliance for the upcoming polls have emerged with the appointment of Dikshit.

Recently, Dikshit, who served as Delhi Chief Minister for three consecutive terms till 2013 before the Congress lost power, took charge as DPCC president after Ajay Maken.

The change of guard in Delhi Congress assumes significance as the party is gearing up to brighten its fortunes in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, considering that the BJP had bagged all the seven seats at stake in the capital in the last general elections.