Many in Delhi Cong favour alliance with AAP, but final call by Rahul: PC Chacko

Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit appeared to be isolated over the issue of alliance with AAP for Lok Sabha polls, as AICC in-charge PC Chacko on Friday claimed that "many" in the party were in favour of such up tie-up.

He, however, said that a final call on the issue of alliance with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi will be taken by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Dikshit, who has been opposing an alliance with AAP, refused to respond to questions on the development.

The differences in the party over the issue of alliance surfaced Thursday after Dikshit registered her protest over a phone survey covering over 52,000 Delhi Congress workers carried out by Chacko.

The workers were asked if they favoured alliance in Delhi with ruling AAP to defeat the BJP in Lok Sabha polls.

"There are many leaders and workers in Delhi Congress who are in favour of alliance with AAP. But a final call in this regard will be taken by party president Rahul Gandhi. We will submit our report on survey result to him," Chacko told PTI.

The All India Congress Committee(AICC) incharge of Delhi unit said that Dikshit may have her views about the alliance, but "everyone will have to follow the decision of party president Rahul Gandhi on it".

Many senior Delhi Congress leaders also expressed their views in favour of alliance citing the need to defeat the BJP in Lok Sabha elections.

Former Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra, who held the post during the Sheila Dikshit government, said that he will go by the decision of the party high command on the alliance issue.

"The party policy is that the BJP regime must be removed at any cost which is there for us to follow," Chopra told reporters.

Former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken had asserted Thursday that the phone survey was conducted on the direction of Gandhi and it was "wrong" if anyone in the party questioned it.

Dikshit had said the move to conduct the survey was "overriding" the decision taken against the alliance by Rahul Gandhi.

"There should be no confusion. Our stand remains what it was," she had said referring to her meeting with Rahul Gandhi earlier this month after which she claimed there was unanimity in the party against an alliance with the AAP in Delhi.