Rahul Gandhi should not be..: AAP sets second rider for Opposition alliance

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) stance on opposition unity is clear. If the Congress fails to protest the Delhi Ordinance in Parliament, AAP will not join the Congress-led opposition. Additionally, the party's national spokesperson, Priyanka Kakkar, has put forward a new condition stating that the Congress should not nominate Rahul Gandhi as their leader for a third time.

"If the country is to be saved, then at first the Congress should announce that they will not bet on Rahul Gandhi for the third time and won't force the opposition. In the interest of the country, this is more crucial than saving the Constitution," the AAP leader said

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi and AAP convener, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, attended a mega meeting of opposition parties in Patna on June 23. The meeting was called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. However, the AAP leaders left before the joint statement and returned to Delhi after lunch.

Following their departure, they issued a statement saying that any alliance with the Congress would be very difficult if the Congress does not support AAP on the Delhi Ordinance issue.

During the meeting, Kejriwal spoke with Rahul Gandhi, urging him to set aside their differences and move forward, but Rahul Gandhi emphasised the need for a proper discussion on the ordinance.

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, proposed that Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi address their differences over tea or lunch.

At the meeting, reports said, Mallikarjun Kharge countered the allegations of the AAP and said AAP spokespersons had been levelling accusations against the Congress. This came as Priyanka Kakkar upped the attack and claimed Rahul Gandhi and the BJP have reached an agreement that the Congress will support the Delhi Ordinance.