What ‘Ally’ Congress Said About Arvind Kejriwal’s “Will Quit” Announcement

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal’s emotional appeal to the people of Delhi — made ahead of an election that’s less than a year away — has left ‘ally’ Congress unmoved. Barbs have been flying at the Chief Minister — who announced that he would quit the post he held for a decade within 48 hours — from all directions, especially Delhi and poll-bound Haryana.

In both states the local leaders of the Congress have made it clear that the alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party stands at the Central level. The fight in the states is on, and no quarters will be given.  

Delhi Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, whose mother Sheila Dikshit was a three-time Chief Minister of the national capital, could not keep the rancour away.

“Why didn’t Kejriwal resign earlier if this is what he wanted to do? He didn’t do so because he was insecure about his party people working without him being there,” Mr Dikshit added.

Terming Aam Aadmi Party a “party of theatrics” he alleged that there is a “lack of trust within the party and it shows”. “Whoever Kejriwal decides upon to be in charge it will be because he is out and he can control the decisions still… Kejriwal has done much damage to Delhi. This is of no consequence or impact,” added the leader.

Asked about the collapsed alliance in Haryana, a repeat of what happened in Punjab last year, he said, “We have been very clear that we’re going ahead in Delhi and Haryana elections by ourselves”.

“Wherever the Congress is strong, AAP follows… They don’t have the guts to contest in Bengal or in the South,” he added.

Delhi Congress’s Ajay Maken, who had been a strong opponent of any alliance with AAP, rubbed it in. “The only competition for Congress in Haryana is the BJP. We want to urge the people of Haryana, that when only BJP and Congress stand face to face in the state, if you vote for any other party, it will benefit the BJP. If anyone wants to vote against BJP, they should vote for Congress, otherwise, it will benefit the BJP,” he said.

Over the last decade, AAP has indeed been growing at the cost of the Congress, starting with Delhi where they ended Sheila Dikshit’s three-term rule shortly after the anti-corruption movement led by Gandhian Anna Hazare.

The footholds AAP has carved out in Gujarat and Goa have also been on the turf of the Congress, which had been the major Opposition party in these states.

Jannayak Janata Party’s Digvijay Chautala said the decision appears to have been made in view of the elections in Haryana. “Now Arvind Kejriwal will be active in Haryana politics,” he said.

Mr Kejriwal, two days after being granted bail, announced today that he would quit the Delhi top post in 48 hours.

While this appears to be the only option in view of the strictures laid down by the Supreme Court, AAP has taken it as an opportunity to test the waters in Delhi, where assembly election is due next year.

“I will not sit on that chair till the people announce their verdict. Elections in Delhi are months away. I got justice from the legal court, now I will get justice from the people’s court. I will sit on the Chief Minister’s chair only after the order of the people,” Mr Kejriwal had said after a series of internal meetings of the party.

Corruption allegations against Mr Kejriwal and other leaders of his party have turned the tables on AAP, born out of an anti-corruption movement. It has played havoc with optics and the Congress, especially, has been enjoying the irony.

“It is his will, if he can be the Chief Minister in jail, he can remain the Chief Minister outside as well. Maybe, there are other matters that are more serious that need to be addressed,” said Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.