New Delhi: Despite having fielded separate candidates in Gujarat Assembly polls, ignoring a request to the contrary from the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party is now joining the grand Opposition protest against demonetisation on November 8. The AAP will mark the day as “Dhokha Divas” along with other parties who are holding “Black Day” and “Akrosh Divas”.
Almost all Opposition parties have decided to organise protests on demonetisation anniversary on November 8.
Sources told this newspaper that the AAP has been warming up to the idea of a joining a joint Opposition, but it was the Congress which was still distrustful of the other party and continued to call it the BJP’s ‘B-Team’.
However, senior leaders like Sharad Yadav were acting as a go between the two parties and efforts were on to induct the AAP into the joint Opposition fold after elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
The Congress, which is working hard to stitch together a mega alliance of all anti-BJP forces in Gujarat, however, seems to be jittery over the AAP’s decision to contest 11 seats in the state.
Congress sources said that the party suspects that the AAP was again working as a “B-team” of the BJP by contesting the seats where the BJP was on a weak wicket and was likely to help the ruling party emerge victorious in these places.
Another factor which was playing on Congress minds was that AAP is the chief Opposition in Punjab and was in a direct fight with it in Delhi, the sources added. The AAP, however, denied Congress charges.
