"These parties don't have much existence in Delhi": Congress' Sandeep Dikshit dismisses SP-AAP alliance for Delhi polls

Jan 11, 2025

New Delhi [India], January 11 : Congress candidate from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, Sandeep Dikshit on Friday dismissed the Samajwadi Party-Aam Aadmi Party alliance for the upcoming elections saying these parties don't have much existence in Delhi.
Speaking to ANI, Dikshit said, "These parties don't have much existence in Delhi. These parties don't want Congress to get strengthened in their states, since they have started feeling that Congress is doing well in Delhi, that's when they suddenly remembered the alliance. Five months ago, when (AAP leader) Gopal Rai said that there wouldn't be any alliance then they did not say anything."
Congress has fielded Sandeep Dixit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, from the New Delhi assembly seat against BJP's Parvesh Verma and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal has said that the Delhi assembly elections will be a direct contest between the AAP and the BJP and not an election of the INDIA bloc
Kejriwal also said that Samajwadi Party's chief Akhilesh Yadava and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee have extended their support to AAP for the Assembly election.
"Delhi assembly election is between AAP and the BJP. It is not the election of the INDIA alliance. I wholeheartedly express my gratitude to all those parties for supporting us. Mamata Banerjee is supporting us. Akhilesh Yadav is supporting us. I have learnt through media that the (Uddhav) Thackeray ji's party is also supporting us," Kejriwal said.
The assembly elections in Delhi will be held in a single phase on February 5, while the votes will be counted on February 8. The last date for filing nominations is January 17. The date for scrutiny of nominations is January 18. While last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 20.
As the elections approach, the BJP has intensified its campaign. The BJP candidates have targeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy case and expressed confidence in forming the next government with a "double engine" administration.
Aam Aadmi Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal claimed that a "Large-Scale" fraud in voter addition and deletions in the New Delhi Assembly seat is taking place.
In a post on X, Kejriwal cited a letter from Chief Minister Atishi sent to Delhi Chief Electoral Officer. "Large-scale fraud taking place in voter additions and deletions in the New Delhi assembly. Delhi CM Atishi ji writes this letter to CEC presenting evidence and seeking time to meet," he said.
The BJP has accused the AAP leaders of corruption and misgovernance while the AAP, which is aiming to come to power for the third consecutive time, is focusing on highlighting its achievements in the education and health sector.
The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got only eight seats.