The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced that it will contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections independently, going against both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) without alliances.
“In Delhi, AAP will contest alone. We are capable of fighting the overconfident Congress and arrogant BJP alone,” said Priyanka Kakkar, AAP’s spokesperson.
Why is AAP Going Solo?
AAP’s decision to go solo, is partly because of past alliances with Congress, particularly in Haryana. There were efforts made by both AAP and Congress to collaborate that fell apart due to disagreements over seat-sharing.
Moreover, Kakkar says that the Congress has repeatedly ignored allies’ interests, including in the recent Haryana elections, where it “didn’t feel it necessary to take its ally along.” She highlighted Congress’s failures, pointing to its lack of seats in the Delhi Assembly over the past decade despite AAP’s efforts to support the INDIA bloc’s alliance efforts.
“The Congress has had zero seats in the Delhi assembly for the past 10 years, yet AAP gave Congress three seats in the Lok Sabha polls; still, they did not feel necessary to take allies along in Haryana,” Kakkar noted. Her comments referred to the unsuccessful alliance in Haryana, where Congress fell short of the majority mark, allowing BJP to secure a third consecutive term in the state.
First Win in Jammu and Kashmir
Despite setbacks in Haryana, AAP secured a ‘mini’ victory in the recent Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The AAP candidate Mehraj Malik defeated a BJP rival in the Doda constituency by over 4,500 votes. This victory marked AAP’s first win in Jammu and Kashmir and reinforced the party’s confidence in its development-focused agenda.
Kakkar attributed Malik’s win to his dedication and AAP’s commitment to development-driven politics. “Mehraj Malik is a very hard-working person, and he has been with the party since the time of the movement and struggle,” she said. Malik, a District Development Council member, secured 23,228 votes against BJP’s Gajay Singh Rana, who polled 18,690 votes.
Following the success in Jammu and Kashmir, AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal is set to visit the region, signaling the party’s intent to expand its footprint in regions beyond Delhi.
AAP’s decision to contest the Delhi Assembly elections independently is significant, highlighting not only a shift in its electoral strategy but also its readiness to challenge established parties. Kakkar’s pointed statements reflect AAP’s determination to prioritize its own platform, without compromising for alliances that may not align with its values and political objectives.
This decision reflects AAP’s growing frustration with what it perceives as Congress’s lack of commitment to alliance-building and disregard for coalition partners.
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