Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal during a press conference after meeting with Chief Election Commissioner in New Delhi, January 9, 2025. Photo credit: PTI
The Delhi assembly elections created an unexpected crisis for the Indian bloc. The Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress extended unconditional support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the Congress. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has also shown favor with the ruling party in Delhi.
The support of these parties is symbolic at best as they do not actually have a significant electoral presence in Delhi. But their actions are indicative of broader problems within the bloc.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, whose party, the National Conference, refuses to choose a side, said Thursday that the alliance’s agenda, leadership and future strategy are not clear. He said if the alliance was only for parliamentary elections, it should be dissolved.
“We have your back, AAP.”
On Wednesday night, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal announced that TMC has extended its support to AAP in the Delhi elections. Within minutes, TMC’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien posted on X, quoting Kejriwal’s post and saying, “We support you @AamAadmiParty.”
The Shiv Sena (UBT) accused the Congress of making personal attacks on Kejriwal, calling him a “traitor”, but said he had not yet chosen a side. “We are yet to formally declare our support to AAP. Both AAP and Congress are our friends. But it is true that Arvind Kejriwal is stronger at the moment,” said Sanjay, a senior party official. Raut told The Hindu. We hope both parties can resolve this issue without too much conflict. Uddhav Thackeray will meet the media tomorrow evening where he will clarify the party’s stand,” he added.
An editorial on the Delhi polls in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana also criticized the Congress. “The issue in the Delhi assembly elections is only between the BJP and the AAP. The Congress party is in the fray and is attacking Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP, not the BJP…”
existential questions
Abdullah refused to choose a side between AAP and Congress, instead raising existential questions. “After the assembly elections in Delhi, all alliance members should be called for a meeting. If this alliance is only for assembly elections, it should be dissolved and we will work separately. But if it is also aimed at assembly elections, we will have to come together and work together,” the J&K CM told reporters in Jammu. The last meeting of the Indian bloc was held on June 1, just before the Lok Sabha election results were announced.
This is not the first time that questions have been raised about whether the bloc came together only for parliamentary elections or whether it would extend to state elections as well. Similar questions arose in the 2023 elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as the Congress failed to award seats to the Samajwadi Party despite several rounds of negotiations. Left parties have also expressed disappointment over the Congress’ failure to accommodate them in several consecutive state polls.
LS vote only: RJD
Intervening in the discussion, senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, clarified that the bloc is only for assembly elections. “At the beginning of India bloc’s inception, it was decided that India bloc would be limited to Sabah elections only. As far as Bihar is concerned, we have been together from the beginning,” Yadav told reporters in Buxar. . Bihar is expected to go to polls later this year.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member Brinda Karat refused to make a clear choice between Congress and AAP. “The CPI(M) is contesting two seats (in Delhi). We will also extend support to other Left parties contesting a few seats. In all other seats, against the BJP We will support the strongest candidate. Our slogan is ‘Defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party and save Delhi’,” Karat told The Hindu.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal thanked Indian bloc member states for their support. “With your support, we are confident of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the next elections,” he wrote to X.
(Input provided by Amit Bellary in Patna and Peerzada Ashiq in Srinagar)
issued – January 9, 2025 8:26pm IST
