Congress came in damage control mode on Wednesday after a party spokesperson said that the party leadership has decide to contest on all seven seats in upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls independently.
The spokesperson’s statement drew sharp reactions from the AAP while Congress once again clarified saying that no such discussion on alliance with AAP took place.
Congress said that those commenting on the alliance issue are not the authorised to speak on behalf of the party.
The controversy erupted after Congress spokesperson Alka Lamba, following a meeting between Congress High Command and Delhi unit, said that the leaders have been instructed to contest on all the seven Lok Sabha seats independently.
Following Lamba’s statement, the Delhi Congress leaders again went for second round of talks with the party leadership.
After the second meeting, Delhi Congress in-charge Deepak Babaria said: “I feel that the people in AAP are immature. If they want to take such a big decision on the basis of media reports then even God cannot save them.”
He said that the person who had given the statement had clarified to me that she has not given any such statement. He also said that there was no such discussion (on alliance with AAP or being ordered to prepare for contesting on all the seven Lok Sabha seats).
“If someone has given a statement in the media, as they have clarified to me that they have not given such a statement. And even the media should understand that those people are not competent to make comments on such a big issue,” Babaria said.
The remarks from the Delhi in-charge came after Lamba announced the grand old party's decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections alone.
AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said that Congress has called Lamba's statement 'premature'.
"Now they have said that her statement is premature," she said.
AAP sources said that the party had decided not to attend the meeting of the opposition-led INDIA if Congress chose to contest all seven seats in Delhi independently.
However, they said that the final decision will be taken by party leaders.
"We have observed the statement from the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President. If Congress has indeed chosen to contest alone in Delhi, there may be no need to attend any INDIA meeting. Nevertheless, the ultimate decision will be taken by party leaders,” party sources said.
The meeting at the Congress headquarters was called to discuss the poll preparedness ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
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