The results of the Delhi Congress’s internal survey, seeking the opinion of booth-level workers about a possible alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, have been submitted to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who is likely to take a final call in the next two or three days on a seat-sharing arrangement between the two parties in the national capital.

“The results of the survey have been directly sent to the Congress chief and a final decision will be taken by him,” Delhi Congress in-charge PC Chacko said.

Chacko said the results are confidential and their details will not be made public.

However, what the grassroots level workers have to say will decide the possibility of an alliance, which has until now garnered mixed reactions from the party leadership.

From Wednesday evening to Thursday evening, a recorded audio survey by Chacko was sent on phone to all grassroots workers asking them to vote in favour of or against an alliance with AAP.

“To defeat the BJP, should the Congress agree to an alliance with AAP in Delhi? To vote ‘yes’ press one, to vote ‘no’ press two,” the recorded voice said.

After the opinion survey started, Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit said she was “not kept in the loop” before a call was taken on reaching out to party workers in the city.

Although Dikshit has been saying the decision against the alliance was “unanimous”, party leaders are divided in their opinion. Former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, after vocally opposing an alliance with AAP for months, did a volte-face and supported a pact with AAP, during a meeting convened by Rahul, in which senior Delhi Congress leaders participated.

Dikshit said the decision to hold the survey overrode Rahul’s announcement at a booth-level convention on Monday, where he had said the party will be fighting on “all seven seats” in Delhi.

“I have clarified my stand on the alliance. The final decision is with the party leadership,” Dikshit said on Friday.

Senior leaders of the AAP on Friday said it has heard that the Congress’s internal survey found “overwhelming” support to an alliance between the two parties.

A party leader said the seat-sharing could be four for AAP and three of Congress, without specifying the names of the parliamentary constituencies.

“AAP has always been wanting an alliance. We are waiting for an official announcement from the Congress as previously, too, talks had reached a positive point, only to be shot down later,” a senior party leader, on condition of anonymity, said.

First Published: Mar 16, 2019 06:00 IST