Congress calls AAP 'BJP's B-team', says contest in Gujarat is between BJP and itself

Jairam Ramesh. File Pic

The Congress on Tuesday termed the Aam Aadmi Party the "B-team of the BJP" and asserted that the fight is between the BJP and it in the Gujarat assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged from an RSS-backed movement in 2012.

"India Against Corruption was a front organisation of the RSS and the AAP emerged from that," he alleged.

The manner in which AAP leaders have been campaigning, it has become absolutely clear through the issues they have been raising and the way they have been raising them that there is no difference from the BJP, Ramesh alleged.

The BJP and the AAP only indulge in shadow boxing, he claimed.

"It is true that through the Punjab government and the Delhi government, a lot of advertisements are being made (in Gujarat), there is a bubble of AAP created in the media. But on the ground level if you look in terms of workers and candidates, the fight in Gujarat is between the BJP and the Congress," Ramesh said.

If the AAP stands it would be to cut votes of the Congress with the help of the BJP, he alleged. Ramesh termed the AAP the "B-team of the BJP".

His remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi said the Congress has a "solid base" in Gujarat and will win the upcoming assembly polls.

Gandhi had contended that there is "massive" anti-incumbency against the BJP while the AAP is "only in the air" with no support on the ground.

Addressing a press conference in Telangana's Kothur during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi had said, "Congress is fighting the Gujarat elections effectively and the Congress will win the polls. AAP is only in the air. It has nothing on the ground."

"There is massive anti-incumbency. The media has created a buzz based on the advertisements given by AAP. The Congress party is a solid party in Gujarat. The Congress is going to win the election there," he had said.

In the 2017 Gujarat assembly polls, the Congress had put up a spirited fight and bagged 77 seats to the BJP's 99.

However, there have been several defections from the Congress post-2017 and their current tally in the assembly stands at 62, while the BJP's tally has risen to 111.

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