AAP to Attend INDIA Bloc Meeting in Mumbai Amid Strained Ties With Congress

AAP’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Monday that the Aam Aadmi Party will attend the INDIA opposition alliance meeting scheduled to be held at the end of the month in Mumbai amid strained ties with Congress.

“Will go to Mumbai. Will share with you the outcome,” Kejriwal told reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi.

The opposition coalition INDIA has scheduled its third meeting on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai. The bloc was formed to challenge the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming general election.

Kejriwal’s confirmation comes amid a tussle between the two “allies” as AAP attempted to make inroads into Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where assembly polls are scheduled to be held later this year.

The Delhi Chief Minister had ruffled the feathers of Congress leaders after he attacked the “terrible condition” of schools in Chhattisgarh. In response, the Congress hit back and challenged him to compare the performance of the previous Sheila Dikshit government with his current administration in the national capital.

A day later, during a campaign in Madhya Pradesh, he stated, “Enough opportunities” have been given to Congress and BJP over the last 75 years, and in a veiled statement said, “Many political parties tend to make promises in their manifestos but often fail to follow through on them.”

Releasing ‘Kejriwal ki Guarantee’, the AAP chief vowed to guarantee 24-hour electricity in the state. “The people of the state have tried these two parties (Congress and BJP) for the last 75 years, but neither of them provided electricity in the state,” he said.

Referring to the provision of free power supply and the lack of six-hour long power cuts in Delhi and Punjab due to active engagements by the AAP-led state governments, Kejriwal said, “If you want a power supply, vote for AAP, and if you want a power cut, vote for these two parties.”

“You have tried both parties, it’s been 75 years and trying for another 75 years won’t bring any change. Only AAP will provide electricity,” he added.

AAP’s Strained Ties with Cong

AAP and the Congress are both members of the INDIA alliance. Kejriwal’s remarks coincided with the potential discussions between AAP and Congress about the seat-sharing arrangement in Delhi during the INDIA bloc gathering in Mumbai.

“AAP is a part of the INDIA alliance and the party’s strategy is now linked to the strategy of the alliance. There have been two meetings. In the next meeting in Mumbai, I feel seat-sharing talks, and the other agenda will be held,” AAP leader and Delhi minister Gopal Rai said last week.

In recent months, a persistent dispute has arisen within the Congress leadership concerning an alliance with AAP. Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa recently made it clear that there will be no alliance between Congress and AAP in Punjab.

Reacting to the statement, Rai has said, “If somebody has a personal opinion, the solution to it has to be found by the party and it is an internal matter of the Congress”.

INDIA Meetings

The INDIA bloc meeting will follow the format of the Bengaluru meeting, with leaders engaging in informal discussions on August 31 before the main meeting the next day. During the gathering, the parties are expected to address differences, especially in states where they are in direct poll competition.

Jointly hosted by Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP’s Sharad Pawar faction, with Congress support, the meeting represents the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. Previous meetings were held in Patna in June and Bengaluru last month.

In Bengaluru, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge introduced the opposition bloc as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and announced plans for an 11-member coordination committee and the selection of a convenor at the upcoming Mumbai meeting.

The coalition comprises 26 opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, AAP, JD(U), RJD, JMM, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), SP, NC, PDP, CPI(M), CPI, RLD, MDMK, KMDK, VCK, RSP, CPI-ML (Liberation), Forward Bloc, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani), Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK).

(With inputs from PTI)