New Delhi:
In the aftermath of the Delhi Assembly elections, the Congress party has unequivocally stated that it is not responsible for the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) performance, as the BJP takes a commanding lead in the early trends. This stance comes amid a significant defeat for the AAP, which had been dominant in Delhi for over a decade.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate emphasized that the party’s focus is on its own political strategies and not on ensuring the AAP’s victory. “Our responsibility is to mount a spirited campaign and contest elections as strongly as we can, not to make the AAP win,” she stated firmly. This assertion highlights the rift between the Congress and the AAP, despite both being part of the INDIA bloc aimed at opposing the BJP.
As the counting for the Delhi Assembly election continues, the BJP is leading in over 50 of the 70 seats, marking a potential end to the AAP’s long-standing dominance in the capital. The AAP had earlier dismissed exit polls predicting a BJP win, confident that it would form a third consecutive solo government in Delhi. However, these predictions seem to be materializing, with the BJP ahead in a significant number of seats.
The campaign saw intense exchanges between Congress and AAP leaders. Rahul Gandhi from the Congress criticized Arvind Kejriwal over various allegations, including corruption and the BJP’s Haryana government allegedly mixing “poison” in the Yamuna water supplied to Delhi. In response, the AAP accused the BJP and Congress of conspiring against it, claiming they were working together to defeat the “people’s government.”
The INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, has struggled to unite the opposition effectively since its formation in June 2023. The bloc’s inability to rein in the BJP has been evident, with the BJP or its allies winning most of the 13 state elections conducted since then. Recent defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra further exposed the rifts within the bloc, particularly between the Congress and other allies like Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party.
The BJP’s potential win in Delhi would mark its return to power in the capital after more than 26 years. This outcome is significant, especially given the high stakes for the opposition ahead of crucial elections in Bihar and West Bengal. Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP chief, is facing a tough challenge in the New Delhi constituency, trailing behind BJP’s Parvesh Verma and Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit.
The Delhi Assembly elections saw a substantial voter turnout, with over 1.5 crore eligible voters participating. A total of 699 candidates, including 118 with criminal records, contested the election across 70 Assembly constituencies.
The Congress believes that the demise of the AAP could pave the way for its own revival in Delhi. According to Congress leaders, the party’s support base has largely shifted to the AAP, and knocking out the AAP is crucial for the Congress’s long-term revival in the national capital. However, this strategy has been met with criticism from other INDIA bloc members, who argue that the Congress should have aligned with the AAP to challenge the BJP more effectively.
