Congress refutes its spokesperson Alka Lamba's statement; says discussion on INDIA alliance would take place in Mallikarjun Kharge's presence

Following a meeting of Congress leaders in Delhi with former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and incumbent president Mallikarjun Kharge, party spokesperson Alka Lamba had said they have been given orders to contest on all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday refuted the statement by its spokesperson Alka Lamba, who had claimed that the grand-old party would contest on all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital during the 2024 general elections, and said that any discussion on INDIA alliance would take place in presence of its chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

Following a meeting of Delhi Congress leaders here the party's top brass including former chief Rahul Gandhi and incumbent president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lamba had said they have been given orders to contest on all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.

"Alka Lamba is a spokesperson but she is not an authorised spokesperson for talking on such important issues. I have said as an in-charge that there were no such discussions in the meeting today. I refute Alka Lamba's statement," All India Congress Committee Delhi in-charge Deepak Babaria was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Deepak Babaria further said, "After the completion of the meeting I clearly said that there were no discussions regarding elections or alliance in the meeting. I also said that any discussion of the INDIA alliance will only take place in the presence of Mallikarjun Kharge ji."

Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in power in the national capital had raised questions on the INDIA alliance following Lamba's statement. The Congress and AAP are part of the opposition grouping Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar has said its top leadership would take a call on attending the Mumbai meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA. "If Congress has made up its mind to fight elections alone in Delhi, there is no point of the INDIA alliance. The final decision to attend the next meeting of the INDIA alliance will be taken by the party's top leadership. It was the Congress which approached AAP for forming an alliance in Delhi since they do not have an existence in Delhi," Kakkar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The next meeting of the opposition alliance is slated to be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1.