Leaders from across the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) coalition have pointed to the disunity between Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a key factor that contributed to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP)’s victory in the Delhi Assembly elections.
Several opposition figures believe that if Congress and AAP had formed an alliance, the outcome of the polls might have been different.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut was one of the first to voice this criticism, arguing that early trends in the election showed a tight contest. “Had Congress and AAP come together, the BJP’s defeat would have been assured within the first hour of counting,” Raut stated. He emphasised that both Congress and AAP shared a common goal of preventing BJP from coming to power, but by fighting separately, they weakened their chances. “If they had united, BJP’s defeat would have been a certainty,” he said.
CPI leader D Raja also weighed in, blaming Congress for the fractured opposition in Delhi. He stated, “It is because of disunity among secular democratic parties, especially Congress, that the INDIA alliance has faltered. Congress needs to seriously introspect on how to strengthen the alliance in the future.”
Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah added his voice to the criticism with a pointed remark on social media. “Aur lado aapas mein!!!” (“Fight amongst yourselves some more!!!”) he wrote on X, taking a jibe at the internal conflicts between Congress and AAP.
More criticism came from the Marxist camp, where senior CPI(M) leader T.P. Ramakrishnan alleged that Congress’ failure to support the INDIA alliance allowed the BJP to gain an advantage. “If Congress had taken the initiative, the alliance could have functioned more effectively. But they didn’t fulfill their responsibility,” Ramakrishnan said. He argued that Congress’ lack of cooperation helped BJP in the Delhi elections.
Veteran IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty also joined the chorus, stating that BJP’s victory could have been avoided had the INDIA alliance remained united. “BJP survives by exploiting differences among secular parties,” he said, calling for the alliance to evaluate its approach to prevent such disunity in the future.
Meanwhile, Congress’ Jairam Ramesh reacted by attributing the election results to the failings of Arvind Kejriwal and AAP. Ramesh stated that while AAP had won in 2015 and 2020 despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, the recent results reflected a rejection of Kejriwal’s “politics of deceit and exaggerated claims.” He added, “This vote is a rejection of Kejriwal’s twelve years of misrule.”
Ramesh also noted that while Congress had hoped for a better result, it did manage to increase its vote share. “Though we may not have a presence in the Assembly, Congress’ vigorous campaign and the hard work of its workers will continue to strengthen our position in Delhi,” he said, optimistically predicting a Congress victory in Delhi assembly elections by 2030.
Stating that it was very obvious from all the meetings that people wanted change, Congress General Secretary and MP, Priyanka Gandhi said, “They voted for change. My congratulations to those who won. For the rest of us, it just means we have to work harder and be responsive to people’s issues.”