The alliance within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is under serious strain as AAP and Congress get involved in a bitter feud in Delhi.
The AAP leaders have alleged that Congress is in cahoots with BJP secretly to weaken AAP’s exposure in the coming Delhi Assembly elections.
It is this rift that poses a dire threat to the unity and efficiency of the INDIA coalition, meant to take on the BJP-led NDA in the general elections of 2024.
Collegial Allegations
During a press meet on 26 December 2024, Delhi’s Chief Minister Atishi and AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that Congress has joined hands with the BJP to complicate AAP’s position concerning the Delhi Assembly elections.
Her statement insinuated that, working in tandem with the Congress, the BJP has created a set of strategies meant to chip away at not only the popular support base AAP enjoys but also its ability to contest the polls.
Threats to the INDIA Coalition
AAP has threatened Congress running against the INDIA bloc, citing that there should be concrete actions against Congress members involved in this collusion. Failure to act, AAP warns, could see them calling for Congress’s immediate ouster from the INDIA coalition.
This internal fighting could jeopardize a coalition meant to be a counterforce to the NDA [National Democratic Alliance] led by BJP; it included the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and intends to be a joint spectre against Congress.
Relations Between AAP and Congress
Relations between AAP and Congress have historically been tense and continue to remain so, especially in Delhi.
Earlier this year, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal reaffirmed that there would be no alliance with the Congress during the Delhi Assembly elections and that AAP would fight the elections on its own strength.
No alliance, Kejriwal said, as it was just going to be AAP standing on its own in the capital; the doubts have been quashed with a firm posture.
India Bloc’s Implications
The widening rift between AAP and Congress throws up fears about the stability of the INDIA bloc and its unity.
The alliance has been formed to challenge the BJP’s supremacy, and the performance of this bloc depends highly on the cohesiveness and cooperation of the member parties.
The present rift not only threatens electoral plans in Delhi but also puts into question the bloc’s ability to put up a unified opposition at the national level.
Calls for Resolution
Political observers maintain that a rapid, organized resolution holds the key to bridging the divide between AAP and Congress.
Without addressing the root issues, the INDIA bloc gets on the verge of extinction, stalling all prospects of posing a stiff challenge to the BJP in state and national elections.
The tussle between AAP and Congress in Delhi serves as a crucial litmus test on the resilience and unity of the INDIA bloc.
Its course of handling this internal bickering, however, shall result in far-reaching implications, not only for the parties concerned but also for broader aspects of India’s political reality when the Delhi Assembly elections approach.
In the ensuing weeks, perhaps the test will be whether the alliance can withstand internal convulsions and hold firm on a common plank against the ruling NDA.
