Congress leader Alka Lamba has stirred up a hornet’s nest by claiming that the party will fight all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi alone. This comes after Delhi Congress leaders on Wednesday (16th August) met the Congress top brass to review preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections next year. This is significant because both Congress and AAP are parts of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, showing the continuing rift between the parties.
#WATCH | Congress leader Alka Lamba says "In the three-hour long meeting, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge ji, KC Venugopal and Deepak Babaria ji were present. We have been asked to prepare for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. It has been decided that we will contest on all 7 seats. Seven… pic.twitter.com/TKaHAIl2yW
— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2023
“Rahul Gandhi, Kharge ji, KC Venugopal, and Deepak Babaria ji were present in the meeting which went on for three hours. The meeting commenced with discussions on the organisational weaknesses and what needs to be done to strengthen it. The second suggestion was that we have to prepare for the Lok Sabha election and we have to start preparing for all seven seats in Delhi,” Lamba said.
She further added that it has not been decided how many seats the Congress will contest in Delhi but quoted Rahul Gandhi saying that he said you can fight on all seven seats and win. “The concern was expressed that Kejriwal kept targeting the Congress right from the beginning and that our vote has gone to Aam Aadmi Party. BJP has a stable line…our fight is with BJP but our vote has gone to AAP. And two senior leaders of AAP are in jail and the CM could also face action. All this was expressed. But whether we will fight or not and on how many seats was not discussed but that we must be prepared on all seven seats,” the Congress spokesperson said.
The statement by Lamba was met with a fierce response from Congress’ I.N.D.I.A. partner, AAP. The party said that if the Congress does not intend to fight along with AAP in Delhi in 2024 then there is no point in going for the I.N.D.I.A. alliance. “If they (Congress) don’t want to form an alliance in Delhi, then it makes no sense to go for the INDIA alliance, it is a waste of time. The party’s top leadership will decide whether or not to attend the next meeting of INDIA alliance,” AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said.
#WATCH | On attending INDIA alliance meeting, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar says "…If they (Congress) don't want to form an alliance in Delhi, then it makes no sense to go for INDIA alliance, it is a waste of time. The party's top leadership will decide whether or not to… pic.twitter.com/gLv4mg4dRf
— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2023
Another rift now seems to have surfaced in the already feeble Opposition alliance with the Delhi Congress now in damage control mode. All India Congress Committee in-charge for Delhi Deepak Babaria said no discussions were held about the alliance in the meeting. “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.”
#WATCH | On Alka Lamba's statement regarding Delhi Congress asked to prepare to contest on all seven Lok Sabha seats, AICC in-charge Delhi Congress Deepak Babaria says "Alka Lamba is a spokesperson but she is not an authorised spokesperson for talking on such important issues. I… pic.twitter.com/rxCA7WpiqI
— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2023
Furthermore, Babaria said I don’t know what to say about AAP’s ability to understand. He said that AAP must also understand the media is trying to help the BJP and incite AAP. He said, “And for them to react to such incitement, it is most unfortunate. To say imaginary things about something that has not been discussed and those talking about the words of our immature spokesperson…that lady (Lamba) said that she has not said anything but someone put words in her mouth so they should have certianly clarified it with me.”
Alka Lamba too took to Twitter sharing the video of her statement and asked what the controversy is about. “ANI’s questions and my answers… Listen and tell where did I talk about having or not having an alliance with anyone? What is the controversy about???” she wrote on Twitter.
. @ANI के सवाल और मेरे ज़वाब… सुनिए और बताइए मैंने कहाँ किसी के साथ गठबंधन होने या ना होने की बात कही? विवाद किस बात का है???
— Alka Lamba 🇮🇳 (@LambaAlka) August 16, 2023
जुड़ेगा #Bharat – जीतेगा #INDIA 🇮🇳✋@RahulGandhi @kharge @kcvenugopalmp @INCIndia @BabariaDeepak pic.twitter.com/UCnQuzEYYu
Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP has taken potshots at the Opposition alliance calling it “arrogant”.
ये 'घमंडिया गठबंधन' चाहे साथ में लड़े या अकेले लड़े इनकी हार निश्चित है।
— Virendraa Sachdeva (@Virend_Sachdeva) August 16, 2023
ये 'घमंडिया गठबंधन' ऐसी बारात है जिसमें दूल्हा कौन है, किसी को पता नहीं है। दिल्ली की जनता फिर से सातों सीट भाजपा को देकर तीसरी बार हैट्रिक बनाकर मोदी जी को प्रधानमंत्री बनाने में और देश के विकास में अपना… https://t.co/dVvu67hWJD
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva tweeted, “Whether this ‘arrogant alliance’ fights together or fights alone, their defeat is certain. This ‘arrogant alliance’ is such a procession in which no one knows who the bridegroom is. The people of Delhi are again ready to make a hat-trick for the third time by giving all the seven seats to the BJP and make Modi the Prime Minister and make their important contribution in the development of the country.”
