Former Delhi chief minister and Congress’ Delhi unit president Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday announced that her party will contest the seven Lok Sabha seats independently.

“We have unanimously decided that we will not have an alliance with the AAP and we will contest alone and emerge stronger,” Dikshit said.

Dikshit’s announcement came after her meeting with Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Other Opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Left have been asking the Congress to share seats with the AAP in States such as Delhi, Haryana and Punjab to consolidate votes against the BJP.

Kejriwal responds

As the Congress ruled out the possibility for any alliance, Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday claimed a “secret understanding” between the BJP and the Congress.

“At a time when the whole country wants to defeat (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi-Shah duo, the Congress is helping the BJP by splitting the anti-BJP vote. Rumours are that the Congress has some secret understanding with the BJP,” Kejriwal tweeted. “Delhi is ready to fight against the Congress-BJP alliance. People will defeat this unholy alliance,” he added.

‘Playing hide and seek’

Senior AAP leader and minister Gopal Rai said: “The Congress was of late playing hide and seek. After today’s meeting between Sheila and Rahul Gandhi, it is clear that the Congress’ stand goes against the country’s mood. Not only in Delhi, the Congress is going against the country’s mood in other States as well.”

Other than Dikshit, Gandhi held interactions with AICC in-charge of Delhi PC Chacko, AICC secretary Kuljit Singh Nagra, senior leaders Haroon Yusuf, Rajesh Lilothia, Ajay Maken, JP Aggarwal, Arvinder Singh Lovely and Subhash Chopra and former Speaker Yoganand Shastri. Most of the State leaders apparently were in favour of going alone in the polls.

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