With one-time allies, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, openly attacking each other in their attempts to secure votes ahead of Delhi Assembly polls, the INDI bloc is seemingly headed towards a break up.
With just weeks to go for polls, AAP launched a scathing attack on its INDI bloc partner Congress, accusing it of working with Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming Delhi polls. AAP also sought Congress’s removal from the INDIA bloc if action is not taken against Congress leader’s Ajay Maken’s recent statement against the AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
Ajay Maken has described the Congress’ decision to support AAP in forming the government in 2013 as one of the biggest “strategic blunders” that led to its decline in Delhi. “I feel that today, the current plight of Delhi, as well as that of the Congress, is due to our support to AAP in 2013. It was perhaps a mistake that was made again in this year’s Lok Sabha poll,” he said.
The war between the two INDI bloc allies has escalated ever since the talks for possible alliance in the Assembly polls broke up. Over the past few months the Central leaderships of Congress and AAP have been striving hard to ensure an alliance between the two political outfits. However, the Congress leaders in Delhi haven’t seemingly forgotten the insult of the then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
For Sandeep and the Delhi Congress leaders, the fight is personal. He has also been fielded against Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency, the Assembly segment earlier represented by Sheila.
It must be pointed out that the massive public outrage fuelled by Kejriwal’s movement had almost derailed the political careers of several of Sheila’s protégés, including Ajay Maken.
Senior Congress leaders have pointed out repeatedly that though there was no case against Sheila Dikshit, the duo of Kejriwal and Anna Hazare had steadfastly continued to demand the resignation of Dikshit and came to power riding on these allegations.
The Delhi Congress leaders are now trying to point out the flawed way that Kejriwal targeted the Congress’ tallest leader in Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, and decimated the party from the national capital.
Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years under Sheila’s leadership, has been facing continuous defeat for two previous terms with not even opening its account, in the year 2015 and 2020.
The state unit of the party is adamant that it was time for seeking payback from AAP ahead of the crucial polls and reclaiming the legacy and vote bank of the grand old party.
With none of the two INDI bloc partners willing to back down, the national alliance of parties, formed ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is now seemingly headed towards cold storage.
It must be understood that over the past decades, the BJP’s voting percentage has remained somewhat intact in the city and it is trying to woo part of its opponents vote base by breaking their sitting ministers and legislators. It is believed that BJP will be a major gainer if AAP and Congress are unable to present a united face in the Delhi polls.
The Legislative Assembly polls in Delhi are scheduled to be held in February 2025. Besides the ruling AAP, the BJP and the Congress are the main contenders.
AAP has seen decline in winning seats in 2020 as compared to 2015. The party won 67 seats in Delhi for the year 2015 and 62 in 2020. BJP has been gaining ground since 2015 as it registered a gain of five seats in 2020 as compared to three in 2015.
