Not going in alliance with AAP wise decision: J.P. Agarwal

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Amid the Congress' hope of winning all seven seats of Delhi, party's Chandni Chowk candidate J.P. Agarwal feels that not going into an alliance with the ruling AAP was a wise decision.

"The Congress is not used to fighting elections in alliance in Delhi. The party had fought every election in a clean manner. We don't need them (the AAP). I was among those who was vocal against this alliance," Agarwal told IANS.

Grateful that the party had nominated him from Chandni Chowk, he said that he was sure of his win as he was born in the area.

"I was born in this Parliamentary constituency. I am the only candidate who was born here and has an electoral card from here. I have already fought six Lok Sabha elections from here and this is my seventh time," he said.

Stressing that Congress' focus on development, Agarwal said: "The Congress fights every election whether Lok Sabha, Assembly or local body on development issues. Roti, Kapada, Makaan and Rozgaar (food, clothing, housing and employment) are the basic issues."

He also accused the sitting MP Harsh Vardhan, of the Bharatiya Janata Party, of being visionless and failing to address issues of the public, especially and the businessmen community.

"Harsh Vardhan was the Minister but failed to address issues being faced by the people or the businessmen, such as GST, note ban and sealing. He has no vision. He should have asked for Rs 1,500 crore or Rs 2,000 crore projects from the Cabinet, but he could not do it. He failed to connect with his constituency," he claimed.

On the Aam Aadmi Party's demand of full statehood to Delhi, the Congress leader termed it "political".

"The demand has nothing to do with administrative problems. Delhi has a budget of Rs 40,000 crore and they can carry out development work and nobody will stop them.

"The AAP has no idea how to go forward but our government in 15 years had done lot of developmental works. The AAP government has not added a single work to what has been done. (Chief Minister Arvind) Kejriwal is an educated person but can he participate in any debate and tell that with just seven people how can Delhi get complete statehood?

"Today also they have representation in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, but no one has raised the issue in Parliament. They are only lying to the people of Delhi and their vote share will come down below five percent," he said.

Dismissing that the AAP had attracted traditional Congress voters like Dalits, lower middle class and Muslims, Agrawal said this was wrong.

"The party has not lost the people but from lies. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji in 2014 only lied to the people and the same was done by Kejriwalji. We go to the people and ask votes based on our work," he added.

Claiming that there was no 'Modi factor' in the country, the Congress leader said people were annoyed with the BJP as unemployment had increased, 32 lakh jobs are lying vacant, and businesses have come to a halt while sealing was adding to the woes.

The Congress would be doing well in this Lok Sabha election and would restrict the BJP under 100 seats, he added.

Elected to the lower house for the first time from Chandni Chowk in 1984 and re-elected in 1989. He, however, lost the 1991 election but regained the seat in 1996.

In 2006, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha and in September 2007, became head of Congress' Delhi unit.

He won the Delhi North East in 2009 Lok Sabha elections and was defeated in the same seat in 2014.