New Delhi: The Congress slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation announcement as a ‘drama due to political compulsions’ and claimed the AAP will have no impact on the grand old party’s prospects in the October 5 Haryana elections and the forthcoming Assembly polls in the national capital.
According to Congress insiders, the party was confident of forming a government in Haryana after a gap of 10 years due to strong anti-incumbency against the ruling BJP and was sure of staging a comeback in Delhi, where the AAP has been in power since 2013.
“Ideally, Arvind Kejriwal should have resigned long ago when he was indicted in the liquor scam or later when he was arrested in the same case. He should have also resigned when Delhi residents suffered from flooding during heavy rains due to choked drains or when the people suffered from a lack of drinking water and electricity supply or when the city choked due to heavy pollution. Why resign now when the Supreme Court gave him bail, but restricted his attending office and signing files. All this is drama and is being done under political compulsion. The top court has not given Kejriwal a clean chit and he has been exposed before the voters,” Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav told ETV Bharat.
According to the Congress leader, Kejriwal, who plans to campaign extensively ahead of the Assembly elections in Delhi likely in February 2025, will not get any sympathy votes.
“The voters of Delhi have realised who developed the city earlier and who works for them now. The voters will support the Congress this time and not AAP whether the elections are held in February or November this year. It is going to be a Congress vs BJP fight in Delhi. That is the reason why several leaders and ministers from AAP have joined the Congress recently. We have revived the party organisation and will form the next government,” said Yadav.
The rise of AAP led to the marginalisation of the Congress in Delhi, which ruled for 15 years from 1998-2013 under then chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
“Kejriwal’s resignation is a gimmick to gain sympathy votes, but it will have no impact now. People have seen the difference between the work done during the previous Sheila Dikshit government and under the Kejriwal government. The Congress will now bring back Delhi’s glory of being the greenest capital,” Sandeep Dikshit, former MP and son of ex-CM Sheila Dikshit told ETV Bharat.
According to party insiders, the AAP would not be able to dent the Congress votes in neighbouring Haryana as well.
“The AAP has no presence in Haryana and it has shown in the recent Lok Sabha elections. We tried to work out a seat-sharing deal with AAP in Haryana, but they backed out and are contesting all 90 seats. But, it is going to be a Congress vs BJP fight in Haryana as well and we will form a government there. We will tell the voters that any vote for AAP will mean indirect support to BJP,” AICC secretary in-charge of Haryana Manoj Chauhan told ETV Bharat.
During the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and AAP had an alliance in Delhi and Haryana. The Congress contested nine seats and AAP one seat in Haryana. In Delhi, the Congress contested three seats while AAP contested four seats. The Congress won five seats in Haryana but none in Delhi.
Read more: Who Will Be The Next Delhi CM After Kejriwal Resigns?
