New Delhi
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced to separate from the India alliance, which has caused a major setback to the opposition alliance. The announcement was made exactly when the coalition constituents were scheduled to hold a virtual meeting to decide their joint strategy for the monsoon session of Parliament starting on July 21. Will this ‘bye-bye’ of AAP shock the unity of the opposition. Let’s understand.
‘Alliance united, but AAP’s path is different’
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has confirmed that all parties except AAP will attend the virtual meeting of the India alliance. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, ‘People will not be able to come to Delhi due to many programs on Saturday, so we will hold an online meeting before the Parliament session. After this there will be a meeting in Delhi. He claimed that the alliance is united, but this move of AAP has created a stir in the political corridors.
TMC with focus on Bihar and Pahalgam
The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has had some conflict with the Congress, said that his national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will participate in the meeting. The meeting will churn on issues such as special amendments of voter list in Bihar, demand for discussion on Pahalgam attack and claims of US President Donald Trump’s India-Pakistan peace agreement.
‘Tension between AAP and Congress already’
CPI (M) General Secretary MA Baby said, ‘Tension between Congress and AAP started during the Delhi elections. CPI (M) believes that the India alliance should be strengthened and extended. I hope both parties will resolve their differences. ‘ But this move of AAP is considered to be the biggest shock after Nitish Kumar left the alliance in 2024.
AAP bet in Bihar
AAP has announced that it will contest the Bihar assembly elections alone. A senior Congress leader said, ‘The exit of AAP is harmful in two ways for the alliance. First, the alliance will be weak in Parliament, especially the Rajya Sabha. Second, AAP can field candidates to damage the possibilities of non-BJP parties in the upcoming elections.
2026 elections are monitored
Elections are to be held in 2026 in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry. Although the effect of AAP in South India is low, another Congress leader said that AAP can field candidates in Assam and those states where Congress has a direct contest with BJP.
‘AAP’s departure beneficial for coalition’
Punjab opposition leader Pratap Singh Bajwa described it as positive. He said, “AAP’s exit will strengthen the India alliance, as it will eliminate ambiguity.” Will this decision of AAP weaken the unity of the coalition, or will it give a chance to make a new strategy for non-BJP parties? It will be interesting to see.