Omar Abdullah’s plainspeak on INDIA as AAP, Congress go at each other in Delhi
Lashing out at the acrimonious bickering between the AAP and Congress ahead of the Delhi elections.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the INDIA bloc should be disbanded as the opposition wasn’t united. While both AAP and the Congress are part of the INDIA bloc, the parties are contesting the Delhi polls separately and the lead-up has been marked by bitter exchanges.
Abdullah, whose National Conference is part of the alliance, lamented the lack of clarity on the bloc’s future after the 2024 polls, which saw it punching above its weight to deny the BJP a simple majority on its own.
“It is unfortunate that no meeting of the INDIA bloc has taken place. Who will lead? What will be the agenda? How will the alliance move forward? There is no discussion on these issues. There is no clarity on whether we will remain united or not,” the J&K Chief Minister said.
Abdullah has also called for a meeting of the alliance after the Delhi elections to clear the air on its future. “A meeting of the alliance should be held after the Delhi elections, and clarity should be provided. If it was only for the Lok Sabha elections, then end the alliance. But, if it is to continue for the Assembly elections as well, then we must work together,” he said.
Abdullah’s remark comes a day after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said the INDIA bloc had lost its significance and was formed specifically for the Lok Sabha polls.
“INDIA was formed just for the Lok Sabha elections and to stop the victory march of the BJP. It has no significance now. The bickering between the Congress and the AAP is not unexpected,” the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister said.
AAP VS CONGRESS FACE-OFF INTENSIFIES IN DELHI
The AAP and the Congress have been involved in fiery exchanges in Delhi, with former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserting that the poll contest was between the BJP and AAP. “The Delhi election is not of the INDIA alliance. It is a BJP vs AAP contest,” Kejriwal said.
Last month, Kejriwal even threatened to consult other parties of the INDIA bloc to remove the Congress from the alliance. The development came after the Congress lodged a complaint against Kejriwal, accusing him of “misleading and deceiving” the public with promises of “non-existent” welfare schemes.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has also accused the Congress of helping the BJP in the polls, scheduled to be held on February 5.
The INDIA bloc received a further jolt after allies Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress backed the AAP in the Delhi elections, leaving the Congress isolated.
The massive face-off comes months after the AAP and Congress contested the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi in alliance. However, it failed to win a single seat.