Congress, AAP in self-defeating relationship, says Jaitely

• ‘BJP a comfortable frontrunner in LS elections’
• Cong encouraging AAP, but it is stamping on Cong’s foot
• AAP has started occupying media space much higher than Cong
• Entire thrust of Kejri speeches anywhere has been on how to stop Modi

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley asserted that the BJP remained a comfortable frontrunner in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, he said, occupies the non-Congress space, as more and more non-Congress groups are joining the BJP. “The BJP constituency is intact and expanding. The Congress and AAP have a cozy relationship, but by dividing the non-BJP space, they will develop a self defeating relationship,” he said.

In his latest Facebook post, Arun Jaitley said, “Whatever media and vote space the AAP gains, it eats into the non-BJP space. There are multiple players vying for the non-BJP space. Even though the Congress may feel that the AAP is doing what the Congress is failing to do, it has ended up scoring a self-goal.”

The AAP, by attempting to occupy non-BJP space, hurts the other non-BJP players more. The Congress is encouraging the AAP, but it is today stamping on the Congress’s foot. “Amongst a particular section it has started occupying media space much higher than the Congress,” he said.

According to Jaitley, the Congress, AAP, Left, BSP and the SP are the principal contenders for this space. Amongst a particular section it has started occupying media space much higher than the Congress.

After an electoral contest in Delhi Assembly elections in December, 2013, the AAP and the Congress have a cozy relationship. The Congress announced an unconditional support to AAP. It’s State leaders were willing to issue statements against the AAP, but unwilling to strike.

The AAP was willing to register an FIR against Sheila Dikshit and other Congress leaders. The police, where the FIR was registered, was without jurisdiction.

Arun Jaitley claimed that the Congress conventionally had a support of anti-BJP section of the intelligentsia. This section now had pinned its hopes on AAP as a possible contender for challenging Narendra Modi.

During the last few weeks, the AAP has started a campaign at the national level. The entire focus of the campaign is against BJP and Narendra Modi. Its leader Arvind Kejriwal declared, “Communalism is more dangerous than corruption.” This was a clear indication of his preference for the Congress and animus against the BJP.

Arun Jaitley said, “The entire thrust of his speeches whether at Delhi, UP or Gujarat has been on how to stop Modi. The AAP Party and its leadership does not speak against the dynasty. It does not speak on the Central Government being weak on National Security; it does not give data on how the national economy has suffered under the Congress. There is no criticism of the manner in which the coal blocks were allocated or the 2G spectrum was allotted. There is not even a criticism of Congress having aligned with a convicted Lalu Prasad Yadav, AAP has softened the attack on the Congress and is going hard against the BJP. This is the Congress-AAP strategy.”

The Congress, meanwhile, is running an insipid campaign. Its leadership is lackluster. Its campaign is on the backfoot. The entire focus of the media debate is the political struggle between the BJP and the AAP. Obviously, the Congress has a votebank much bigger than AAP. The AAP is only struggling to make its presence felt. It may not even be a spoiler. It tactics target maximum media publicity. Its presence in the media is higher than congress.