Delhi Elections 2025: Friends turn foes as Congress makes late dash in battle for capital

Congress leader Ajay Maken addressed a press conference today and levelled serious allegations against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and the ruling government. (File Photo/PTI)

The Congress, initially averse to being too hash on INDIA bloc partner AAP's Arvind Kejriwal, appears to have had a change of heart. Having contested the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the AAP in Delhi under the INDIA bloc banner, and drawn a blank, the grand old party has shifted gears and launched a full frontal attack against the ruling government and its supremo.

On Wednesday, Congress leader and party's Delhi in-charge Ajay Maken accused Kejriwal of committing a health-related scam worth Rs 382 crore. At a press conference he addressed in the capital earlier today, Maken said that of the 14 reports submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India regarding Delhi, one points to an alleged scam by the AAP government.

"The Delhi CM made his party on the basis that he will fight corruption. At that time, he made corruption allegations against Congress based on CAG reports. Today, there are 14 CAG reports that make serious corruption allegations against Arvind Kejriwal. One such CAG report related to health which is a Rs 382 crore scam done by Arvind Kejriwal," Maken said, adding that the instances of misappropriation of funds cited in the yet-to-be-tabled CAG reports is why Kejriwal did not allow them to be tabled in Parliament.

'AAP ' , , CAG CAG 14 , pic.twitter.com/SRaEtlgJW3

Congress (@INCIndia) January 22, 2025

Change of Heart

The Congress' recent line of aggression against its INDIA bloc partner is in stark contrast to the stance adopted by the party just weeks ago. The party had apparently decided to go soft on Kejriwal but changed its mind after facing a no-holds-barred attack by Kejriwal and AAP.

A CNN-News18 report citing Congress sources says that Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi advised prioritising the party's existence over coalition dharma. As per the report, Rahul is learnt to have said at a meeting that a weakened Congress in states also weakens its stand that it alone is capable of taking on the BJP at the national level and protecting the Constitution.

Notably, Maken, who was asked to hold his horses from conducting a tell-all press conference "exposing" Kejriwal, was given a go-ahead. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, who have so far remained elusive in the Delhi hustings, are expected to hit the streets in a bid to woo women, Dalit, OBC and Muslim voters.

Shrinking Presence in States

The Congress' change in heart is guided by an understanding of how regional parties have grown in states at its own expense. The AAP grew in Delhi and Punjab at the Congress' expense. It has been virtually wiped out in states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh where it allied with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, respectively.

Notably, the stance adopted by the Congress in Delhi also comes after a reality check by its own allies ahead of the Delhi elections. Former Lok Sabha LoP and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, for instance, faced the music when he decided to take on Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool. In turn, the TMC backed AAP over Congress ahead of the Delhi elections. The case was similar with the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress' alliance partners in UP and Bihar, respectively.

In Delhi's case too, the AAP maintained a dismissive stand against the Congress, often poking fun at its negligible presence in the capital. The AAP has time and again referred to Congress as "BJP's B-Team" which was only contesting the Delhi elections to damage the AAP's prospects. "doesn’t have a ground presence in Delhi anymore. There is a mindset among people that voting for Congress is wasting their vote. In Delhi, the election is a direct fight between AAP and BJP," Chief Minister Atishi said in an interview recently.

Too Little Too Late?

While the Congress has decided to go full throttle against the AAP in the coming elections, it may have been a little late to arrive to the party. The party, which currently has no MP or MLA in Delhi, stands at a crucial juncture where its performance may decide its future relevance.

While the Congress winning a majority appears unlikely, any dent it manages to deal to the AAP would be seen as a blessing -- even if it finishes third but with an increased majority. "Even if the BJP wins this time, next time we can. But more than this, defeat of AAP would mean Delhi will have only two players—Congress and BJP—and we will be back in the game," a senior Congress leader told CNN-News 18.