New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday clarified that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will not join the grand opposition alliance against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2019 general elections.
“Against all speculations, I can tell you that our party AAP will not be a part of any alliance in 2019,” AAP leader Kejriwal told media.
He said the parties which intended to come together for the proposed alliance played no role in the country’s development.
“The political parties which have decided to join hands for the proposed Opposition alliance have not played any role for this great country’s development. Hence, there is no question of joining any alliance for the upcoming elections,” he said at a rally in Hissar, Haryana.
The Delhi CM stated that AAP would contest general elections as well as Haryana legislative assembly polls from all seats.
He took the opportunity to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for pending projects in National Capital Region (NCR).
“We have done revolutionary work in the education and health sectors in Delhi but the union government is creating hurdles at every step taken by my government for people’s welfare in NCR,” he said.
Interestingly, Kejriwal had met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Delhi last week. The two leaders discussed political strategies to counter BJP in the next general elections.
After the meeting with Kejriwal, Banerjee met leaders of various other parties, including United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Besides AAP and Congress, she met leaders of Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), YSR Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (Secular).
Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Banerjee has been trying to rally opposition parties for an anti-BJP front. She has been visiting Delhi often to invite opposition parties to attend her grand rally on January 19 in Kolkata.
On Wednesday, AAP had boycotted the election for the post of Rajya Sabha (RS) deputy chairperson.
The ruling NDA had fielded Janata Dal (United) Member of Parliament (MP) Harivansh Narayan Singh while the opposition led by Congress backed BK Hariprasad for the post. Singh won easily with 125 votes in his favour, while 105 votes went to Hariprasad.
“If Rahul Gandhi can hug Narendra Modi, why cannot he ask Arvind Kejriwal for support to his party’s candidate,” AAP leader Sanjay Singh later told media.
