New Delhi, Jan. 8: Arvind Kejriwal today said the Congress had accepted defeat and urged the people of Delhi “not to waste their vote” on it, after former chief minister Sheila Dikshit appeared to indicate support for his Aam Aadmi Party in case of a split mandate.
“Sheila ji’s statement important. Congress has conceded defeat. People should not waste vote now by voting for Cong. They should vote the AAP,” Kejriwal tweeted.
Dikshit denied late this evening having made such a statement and claimed her remarks to a news channel and their logic “were both twisted to ensure they suit a plot”.
“I think…if there is a hung Assembly, then we may support…,” Dikshit told Times Now, asked if the Congress would back an AAP-led government if there was a split verdict like in 2013.
The AAP has been trying to turn the upcoming polls into a two-way contest with the BJP, and is eying the Congress’s votes.
Against such a backdrop, Dikshit’s purported statement left AAP leaders gleeful. “The Congress will not even open its account in Delhi this time. It is a direct contest between the AAP and the BJP,” AAP leader Manish Sisodia said.
The support of eight Congress MLAs in the previous Assembly had led to the formation of the AAP government. But when Kejriwal quit after 49 days as chief minister, most Congress leaders felt it was a mistake to have supported the AAP.
In her comments to the channel, Dikshit — a three-time chief minister — described the AAP as a “natural choice” as the Congress could not support the “communal” BJP.
But speaking to The Telegraph this evening after the channel telecast her interview, Dikshit denied having made any commitment to the AAP and claimed her “statement and logic were both twisted to ensure they suit a plot”.
“How can I take a decision at this stage when even the election has not been announced? I was talking about the past and they twisted my statement to fit into the context of the future. Any such decision will be taken only by the high command.”
Dikshit added: “I said the Congress cannot support the communal party BJP. I also said we supported the AAP last time after the three-cornered contest threw up a fractured mandate. Now, the election is yet to happen and only time will tell what kind of result the people give. I defended the party’s (earlier) decision to support the AAP to stop the BJP but that does not mean I am offering the Congress’s support to the AAP again.”
Other Congress leaders declined comment on record, saying there was confusion about Sheila’s stance, but asserted no such decision had been taken at this stage.
“This aspect will be discussed after the results. We are unlikely to support the AAP again and it should be made clear that no individual is in a position to take a decision on such issues. This is a confusion being created deliberately,” a senior Delhi Congress leader said.
For the BJP, the consolidation of all anti-party votes towards the AAP is a big worry as it eyes in Delhi a repeat of its winning streak in other states in recent months.
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