New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday formally declared it is no longer part of the INDIA bloc, the opposition alliance formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh made the announcement, while sharply criticizing the Congress party’s leadership within the coalition.
Singh’s comments come just ahead of a scheduled virtual meeting of INDIA bloc leaders on Saturday evening, aimed at discussing the current political climate ahead of the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, which begins Monday. This will be the first joint deliberation of the alliance after a long gap since the general elections.
“The AAP has clarified its position. The INDIA bloc was only for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” Singh told PTI Videos. “We contested Delhi and Haryana together with Congress, but we fought the Punjab and Gujarat bypolls independently. We will contest the Bihar elections solo. The AAP is not part of INDIA anymore,” he stated.
Criticizing the Congress party’s role in the alliance, Singh said, “This is not child’s play. Did the Congress call any meeting after the Lok Sabha elections? Was there any effort to expand or strengthen the alliance? The Congress keeps criticising allies like Akhilesh Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, and Mamata Banerjee. How does that help opposition unity?”
He further questioned the Congress’ claim to leadership, saying, “It is the largest party in the bloc, but did it play a meaningful role in unifying the alliance? We have always been a strong opposition and will continue to raise issues in the Lok Sabha.”
The AAP’s stance appears to reflect growing rifts within the INDIA alliance. Earlier this month, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also declared that the bloc was limited to the Lok Sabha polls, and no alliance currently exists. Kejriwal accused the BJP of using Congress to cut into AAP’s votes during the Visavadar Assembly bypoll in Gujarat.
“When the Congress failed to defeat us, the BJP scolded them. This shows the INDIA bloc has no relevance now. We’re on our own,” Kejriwal said.
Despite its exit from the alliance, AAP leaders have reiterated their commitment to opposing the BJP government and raising key issues with full force during the Parliament session.
