While Opposition parties join hands to support AAP, Congress dally- dallying: report

New Delhi: Even as the Congress emerged in Karnataka from its ashes, the party has yet to explain how it is going to accommodate opposition parties, especially the strongest of them, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The Congress victory has given a fillip to opposition parties nationally, especially the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra with NCP leader Ajith Pawar saying that the Opposition will stand united against the BJP.

The Congress has yet to make it clear whether the party will throw its weight behind the Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in its fight against the Centre's ordinance on Delhi services.

Passing up the opportunity of supporting AAP will eventually be costly for the Congress, even as the most of the non-BJP parties are essentially in support of AAP, which was at the forefront in fighting BJP in Gujarat and elsewhere.

Kejriwal has met with the leaders of CPI(M), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janata Dal (United), Trinamool Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Shiv Sena (UT) and others, according to NDTV.

He is most likely to meet other regional chieftains like Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Over the last two weeks, Kejriwal has been busy huddling with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, seeking help to stop the Centre’s Bill in both houses of parliament.

The Bill is meant to override the Supreme Court order that gave Delhi government control over transfer of bureaucrats and postings in the national capital.

It is crucial for AAP to get the Congress support to defeat the Bill in Rajya Sabha, according to the report.

However, the Congress and AAP are not on friendly terms as they have been fighting with each in a slew of states including Gujarat, Punjab and Delhi.

The Congress leadership believes that AAP's emergence as a major force in some states has eaten into its traditional votes, eroding mass support in Punjab and Gujarat.

Alongside, the Congress accuses AAP of pursing soft Hindutva in its efforts to take on the BJP.

The reports say that the Punjab and Delhi unites of the Congress are against supporting AAP.

Now opposition parties are waiting to see whether the national leadership of the Congress leadership will throw its weight behind AAP, creating at least a semblance unity ahead of the 2024 polls.