As news of AAP-Cong alliance spreads, Atishi claims Kejriwal will be arrested in '3-4 days'

Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Atishi Marlena on Thursday claimed that the party's national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested in the next three to four days if the party enters into a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference, she also claimed that the CBI was going to issue a notice to Kejriwal either on Saturday or Sunday.

"Since the news of discussions on an alliance between AAP and Congress reaching its final stages is circulating, AAP leaders have received messages since Wednesday evening that Kejriwal will be arrested if AAP enters into a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress," she claimed.

Earlier, ending days of suspense between the two allies of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, the AAP and Congress had apparently sealed the deal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, according to sources.

The sources claimed that while the AAP would contest on four Lok Sabha seats, Congress will fight on three seats in Delhi. A formal announcement regarding the alliance is likely soon.

The AAP would field candidates from South Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi and New Delhi, while the Congress would contest from Chandni Chowk, East Delhi and North East Delhi, Congress sources said. The alliance, as per the sources, was solidified after the AAP accepted the Congress' proposal to contest one Lok Sabha seat of its choice.

The Delhi minister also claimed that 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 he will be arrested.

She said the messengers also said the only way to keep Kejriwal out of jail was AAP quitting the opposition bloc INDIA. The alliance between the AAP and the Congress in Delhi is on the verge of finalisation. Leaders of the two parties may make an official announcement in a day or two, she said.

Previously, AAP had offered the Congress just one of Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats, all of which were won by the BJP in 2019 with a vote share of more than 50 per cent.

Apart from Delhi, both parties have also finalised seat-sharing arrangements in other states, the sources said, with the Congress leaning toward conceding Bhavnagar and Bharuch in Gujarat to the AAP.

Bharuch holds significance for the Congress, being associated with late party stalwart Ahmed Patel, whose daughter has actively engaged in the constituency, potentially signalling her interest in contesting the 2024 elections. The party's decision to relinquish these seats raises anticipation about the family's response.

Sources said the strategic move to allocate two seats in Gujarat to the AAP is aimed at addressing Kejriwal's demands in other states like Haryana, Assam, and Goa.

The negotiation process encountered a challenge, particularly in the case of the South Goa seat, as the AAP insisted on contesting there. The Congress, hesitant to yield the seat, cited the presence of its sitting MP, Francisco Sardinha, a seasoned figure in Goa's assembly and Parliament.

With PTI inputs