AAP's Cryptic Offer To Congress Would Spoil Opposition Unity Efforts

Throwing a spanner in the efforts to unite a highly divided Opposition, Aam Admi Party (AAP) called the Congress a "copy cat" party while, in the same vein, making an offer that AAP will not fight the elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan if the grand old party replicates the gesture in Delhi and Punjab.

Such contrasting statements ahead of the Opposition leaders' conclave, scheduled to be held on June 23 in Patna, are certainly going to create a precarious situation for the Congress. Talking to the media yesterday, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the Congress "lacks in its own ideas and that's why they are stealing the manifesto of our party."

"Congress is the oldest party of the country. But, today it has become C-C-C, Copy-Cat-Congress. They are stealing everything from Arvind Kejriwal. They have no idea of their own left. Now it is coming to the fore that Congress not only lacks leadership but also lacks ideas. Congress does not have such a mechanism to know the people's aspirations," ANI reported Bhardwaj as saying.

Taking a dig at the Congress, he also pointed out that it had earlier mocked AAP's schemes like free electricity in Delhi and monthly allowances to women in Punjab, but it has itself promised similar schemes in other States like Himachal and Karnataka. The schemes have certainly resulted in both the parties win elections in those States.

However, the outbursts show AAP's desperation after the Congress refused to oppose the Centre's Ordinance over control of administrative services in Delhi. The Modi government came up with the Ordinance last month to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Kejriwal has already met a number of Opposition leaders soliciting support for its opposition to the Ordinance in Parliament when it is put to vote. Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, Hemant Soren, K. Chandrashekar Rao, M.K. Stalin, Sharad Pawar, Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav have assured him of their support.

However, the Congress flatly refused to support any such move with a majority of party leaders calling AAP the "B-team" of BJP and claiming that Kejriwal harmed the Congress interests not only in Delhi and Punjab but other States as well. They have strictly advised the leadership to have no truck whatsoever with Kejriwal or AAP for that matter.