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Why AAP launched fresh attack on Cong ahead of INDIA bloc's big Delhi meet: Reason lies northwards

From Hindustan Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sharpened its attack on the Congress party ahead of a INDIA bloc meeting, signaling continued estrangement.
  • AAP leader Somnath Bharti stated the alliance has "no future" under Congress leadership, citing perceived betrayal and lack of support.
  • The friction stems from electoral contests in Delhi and Punjab, where both parties are vying for dominance ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has intensified its criticism of the Congress party, underscoring the deep rift within the INDIA bloc even as its partners convened in Delhi. AAP leader Somnath Bharti declared that the alliance, which the party plans to formally exit in 2025 while offering issue-based support, is doomed as long as the Congress leads it.

[Congress] said on one hand that we would fight as an alliance and back each other, but behind the scenes [it] appears to be with the BJP.

— Somnath BhartiExplaining the AAP's distrust of the Congress party's commitment to the INDIA alliance.

Bharti accused the Congress of duplicity, stating that while the alliance partners agreed to support each other, the Congress appeared to be working with the BJP behind the scenes. He pointed to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, where the AAP and Congress contested seats separately. Bharti claimed that while AAP's leader Arvind Kejriwal campaigned for Congress candidates, few Congress leaders reciprocated, leading to the BJP winning all seven Lok Sabha seats in the capital.

The core of the conflict lies in Punjab, where AAP is the ruling party and the Congress is the main opposition. The two parties fought separately in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, with the Congress winning seven seats and AAP securing three. This electoral rivalry has continued, with AAP also winning the recent municipal polls in Punjab, despite recent setbacks with Rajya Sabha MPs switching to the BJP.

What kind of alliance is that?

— Somnath BhartiQuestioning the nature of the alliance after the Delhi Lok Sabha election results.

Both parties are now gearing up for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. Congress leaders in the state argue that an alliance with AAP would inadvertently benefit the Shiromani Akali Dal or the BJP, potentially eroding their own support base. This ongoing contest for political ground in Punjab is a major factor driving the AAP's confrontational stance towards the Congress.

The Congress does not know how to honour the code of alliance.

— Somnath BhartiAsserting the Congress party's failure to adhere to alliance principles.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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