AAP steps up campaigning as uncertainty over alliance looms

As the uncertainty over an alliance with the Congress continued, the Aam Aadmi Party stepped up its campaigning with plans to rope in 1.5 lakh volunteers for the Lok Sabha election.

Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said one central war room, where all campaigning would be closely monitored, would be set up. Seven war rooms will be established in all the Lok Sabha constituency offices that would be reporting to the central office.

"Seven observers would also be deployed with one observer in each constituency. There would also be an emergency feedback team with 14 people who would carry the inspection of the campaigning rallies," Rai said.

He said for on-ground monitoring, 560 teams would be deployed and a total engagement of 1.5 lakh people would be seen.

The AAP has been seeking an alliance with the Congress in Delhi but the grand old party has not made its stand clear on the possible tie-up, following which the AAP declared all its seven candidates for the upcoming polls an started campaigning for them.

A senior leader said announcement of all the candidates was made seeing the Congress' "irresponsible and indecisive" attitude towards the alliance.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal had also said internal surveys indicated that the AAP was capable of winning all the seven seats in Delhi on its own and it did not require an alliance with the Congress in Delhi.

However, the Congress and the AAP last Tuesday made fresh efforts with the help of NCP chief Sharad Pawar to forge an alliance in Delhi for the polls.

Sources said last week that AAP had made a fresh bid to forge an alliance with the Congress in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, with the former demanding five seats in Delhi.

However, shortly after the meeting Kejriwal said the Congress refused to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi and the two parties were not in talks with each other.