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Congress and AAP are contesting the Delhi Assembly polls on their own. AAP has so far gained backing of two INDIA bloc parties, leaving Congress isolated.
Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav (PTI File Image)
As rift in the INDIA bloc came to the fore first in the Parliament Winter Session and now in the Delhi Assembly polls, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday that the Opposition grand alliance was meant only for the Lok Sabha Elections.
“It was already decided from before that the INDI Alliance was for Lok Sabha polls only,” Tejashwi told reporters when asked about his remarks on AAP and Congress contesting Delhi polls separately.
His remarks came in the wake of conflicts within the INDIA bloc after RJD chief Lalu Yadav backed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s willingness to lead the Opposition alliance instead of Congress leaders.
Rift In INDIA Bloc
Divisions in the INDIA bloc have come to the fore on numerous occasions since the conclusion of Lok Sabha polls in June last year. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, in the parliamentary polls campaign, predicted that the INDIA bloc would “disintegrate” after results were announced on June 4, 2024.
During the Winter Session of the Parliament, TMC and Samajwadi Party avoided participating in the protests led by Congress on the complex against the Centre. The TMC has pitched Mamata Banerjee as the leader of the bloc, gaining support from several parties and barring Congress.
In the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls, AAP and Congress announced to go solo and not forge any alliance. Their alliance talks did not materialise in Haryana where the BJP returned to power for third term last year.
Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and Mamata-led TMC have expressed their support for the AAP in Delhi, leaving Congress, which hopes to lead the INDIA bloc, isolated.
Delhi Assembly Elections On February 5
The 70-member Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, with vote counting slated for February 8. The national capital is set to witness a three-way contest among the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Congress.
