New Delhi, February 21: After attending several joint Opposition showdowns against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has not only toned down his jibes against the Congress, but also pitched for a pre-poll alliance with the grand old party. If a coalition is formed ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal said, BJP will retain none of the 7 seats in the national capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been approaching the Congress to form an alliance ahead of the national polls, Kejriwal admitted before a gathering of party workers and supporters in Chandni Chowk on Thursday. His admission came days after repeated denials by AAP leaders on reports claiming that they are seeking a 4:3 coalition with the Congress in the state. Open For Alliance if High Command Shows Green Signal: Sheila Dikshit.

"There should be only 1 candidate against every BJP candidate. Votes must not be divided. Tired of trying to convince Congress for alliance, but they refuse to understand. If today our alliance with Congress is done, BJP will lose all 7 seats in Delhi," Kejriwal said.

Notably, the AAP and the Congress had drawn a blank in the national capital in 2014. All the 7 constituencies were then bagged by the BJP, which rode to power on the Narendra Modi wave.

A year later, in 2015, the AAP succeeded in reversing Delhi's electoral mood, with the Kejriwal-led party winning 67 of the 70 seats in the assembly. The BJP had bagged the remaining three constituencies, whereas, the Congress failed to open its account.

The Congress, however, appears to have regained grounds over the last four years. Considering the party's recovery, the Kejriwal camp had sent out feelers for an anti-BJP alliance. Reports had claimed that the two parties are considering to contest either in a 4:3 alliance -- with AAP contesting on 4 and Congress 3 seats respectively -- or to contest on 3 seats each and leaving 1 for BJP rebel Yashwant Sinha. Both parties later dismissed the speculation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2019 09:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).