New Delhi: Congress on Thursday trashed former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's comment that the party may extend support to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in case of a hung verdict in Delhi Assembly polls, ruling out any such possibility at all while the BJP took a dig at the former CM's statement saying AAP is a 'B' team of Congress.
Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely said there was no question of the party extending support to AAP as it had "betrayed" people's trust. "There is no question of Congress supporting AAP again. Whosoever made such comments was not in sync with the party's views. We will never ever support AAP," Lovely said.
Calling BJP and AAP as two sides of the same coin, Lovely said Congress was confident of winning people's support and forming the government on its own after the polls.
Earlier, Dikshit said Congress support to AAP cannot be ruled out in case of a hung verdict in the upcoming Assembly elections. "We had given outside support to AAP to form a government after the Assembly election over a year back. I cannot rule out supporting the AAP if a similar situation arises after the polls. Any decision on party's strategy depending on the outcome of the election will be taken by the top leadership," Dikshit said.
She said as there was no question of supporting BJP, Congress may extend support to AAP if such a situation arises. Asked specifically whether Congress would support AAP again in case no party gets a clear majority, Dikshit said she cannot give a direct reply. "Nothing can be ruled out depending on the situation that will arise."
Dikshit, who led Congress to victory in three successive assembly polls since 1998 but suffered a crushing defeat in 2013, said efforts should be made to ensure formation of stable government in the city. Congress had extended outside support to AAP to form a government in the city after the Assembly polls in December 2013.
Congress had got 8 seats while AAP had won 28 seats and BJP had come victorious in 31 seats.
BJP took a dig at former CM Dikshit's statement and called AAP as Congress' B' team.
"After Sheila Dikshit's remark, it becomes clear that all through AAP has been a B team of Congress," Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said in a statement.
Upadhyay also said that Delhiites should now choose the BJP in the Assembly elections and reject both these parties. "It is now for the people of Delhi to choose between opportunist parties like AAP and Congress or the symbol of development BJP.
The statement is indicative of conceding defeat," the Delhi BJP chief also said.
Dikshit on Thursday also said there was no question of supporting BJP and if a situation arises for extending support to AAP to form government, then the party will take a call analysing the post-poll situation.
Congress had extended outside support to AAP to form a government in the city after the assembly polls in December 2013. Congress had got 8 seats while AAP had won 28 seats and BJP had come victorious in 31 seats.
