Break alliance with Congress or Kejriwal will be arrested: AAP says threatened over seat-sharing talks

New Delhi: Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi on Thursday claimed that their functionaries have received messages from BJP that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested if the party enters into a seat-sharing pact with the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections.

AAP and Congress are fine-tuning their electoral understanding of contesting four and three seats respectively in Delhi, sources said. AAP will field candidates from the South Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi and New Delhi seats, while the Congress will contest from the Chandni Chowk, East Delhi and North East Delhi constituencies.

At a press conference, Atishi claimed, "Since the news of discussions on an alliance between AAP and Congress reaching final stages is circulating, AAP leaders have started receiving messages that Kejriwal will be arrested if AAP enters into a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress."

It was conveyed by the messengers that a notice will be issued to the chief minister by the CBI on Saturday or Sunday and then after a couple of days, he will be arrested, Atishi said. "By threatening AAP and Kejriwal of jail, if they think that we will get scared, you are wrong," she said.

As the seat sharing negotiations are reaching the final stage, sources said Congress is likely to concede one seat in Haryana and two in Gujarat while AAP is likely to withdraw its claim on Chandigarh seat. AAP may also withdraw its candidate from South Goa, which is a sitting Congress seat.

While the Haryana seat is likely to be either Gurugram or Faridabad, those in Gujarat include Bharuch and Bhavnagar.

With reports of Congress conceding Bharuch to AAP surfacing, the family of late Ahmed Patel voiced its opposition. Patel had contested the seat and won in 1984 and the Congress has staked claim citing its "emotional connect" with the constituency. His daughter Mumtaz Pael had expressed interest to fight for the seat.

Patel's son Faisal Ahmed Patel posted on 'X', "if the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat is allotted to the AAP under the alliance in the next Lok Sabha elections, neither I nor the conscientious workers of the Congress will support the candidate of the AAP."

AAP has already named tribal MLA Chaitar Vasava as its candidate.