No takers for Congress? Most INDIA bloc allies back AAP in Delhi, snub grand old party

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced support for Arvind Kejriwal's AAP for the Delhi Assembly elections. (File Photo: PTI)

The Congress party finds itself getting increasingly isolated as more Opposition parties part of the much-touted INDIA bloc extending their support to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party over the Congress, which is locked in a three-way battle in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

On Wednesday, Kejriwal's AAP received the backing of the Trinamool Congress led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the Delhi elections. "TMC has announced support to AAP in Delhi elections. I am personally grateful to Mamata Didi. Thank you Didi. You have always supported and blessed us in our good and bad times," the former Delhi Chief Minister said in a post on X.

Trinamool's Rajya Sabha MP responded to Kejriwal's post within minutes: "We have your back @AamAadmiParty."

Notably, Trinamool has been one of the fiercest critics of the Congress, which it sees as a rival in West Bengal. Lately, the party has also positioned itself as best suited to steer the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties and has rejected the big-brotherly treatment that the Congress has meted out to them.

Mamata has earlier pitched for a leadership role in the INDIA bloc and raised questions on the abilities of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the top leader of the INDIA bloc as well as its ability to take on the BJP.

Taking cue from Trinamool, more leaders have now openly come out in support of the AAP for the coming Delhi elections. On Tuesday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also extended its support to AAP for the polls next month. "Thank you very much Akhilesh ji. You always support and stand with us. I and the people of Delhi are grateful for this," Kejriwal wrote on X.

On Thursday, Shiv Sena (UBT), which has had run-ins with the Congress following the debacle in the Maharashtra polls on the issue of the latter's criticism of Savarkar, has also followed suit and decided to extend its support to the AAP in Delhi.

An editorial published in Saamana on Monday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attack against Kejriwal over the remodeling of his government bungalow as CM. "Mr. Kejriwal spending ₹1.5 crore on his government bungalow may be a matter of criticism but what about the houses of other Central Ministers who have gone royal in decorating their government bungalows? In Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde as a CM had three government bungalows; even after stepping down from the post, he continues to hold possession of two bungalows. When Devendra Fadnavis was Deputy CM, he too had two bungalows. This extravagance is larger than the sheesh mahal allegation against Mr. Kejriwal who is also accused of making gold chest drawers,” the Saamana editorial read.

It is believed that Kejriwal is also in touch with Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray to seek his participation in campaigning for the AAP in Delhi.

The Congress is also staring at a crisis in Bihar, where it had joined hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav for the Lok Sabha elections. On Wednesday, RJD leader and former Deputy CM Tejashwi said that the INDIA bloc was formed specifically for the Lok Sabha elections and had lost its significance now.

"INDIA (bloc) was formed just for the Lok Sabha elections and to stop the victory chariot of the BJP. It has no significance now. This is why the bickering between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls is not unexpected," Tejashwi told reporters. He did, however, add that the RJD and Congress will contest the Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for later this year, in an alliance.

"Everyone's aim is to defeat BJP. AAP is the only party in Delhi which can defeat BJP. This is why other parties are coming out to support us and we thank them for it," AAP MP Sanjay Singh said on Thursday.

Reacting to the support Kejriwal has received from other INDIA bloc parties, Congress candidate from Kalkaji Assembly constituency, Alka Lamba wondered why Kejriwal suddenly felt the need to bring in leaders from other states to campaign for him.

"If he has worked for 10 years, he should have asked for votes based on that. Entire Delhi is asking for votes on Arvind Kejriwal's name, including CM Atishi... Nobody will be able to help him," she said.

The BJP, meanwhile, took a dig at the INDIA bloc and said that their support to AAP was meaningless. "All the other parties of INDI alliance (other than AAP) are non-existent in Delhi. They have no vote bank. Arvind Kejriwal can see he is losing and that is why he is taking support from these parties... BJP is certainly forming government in Delhi... INDI alliance does not exist anymore," BJP candidate from the New Delhi assembly constituency, Parvesh Verma, said.

The Delhi elections, scheduled for February 5, will see a three-cornered contest between the AAP, BJP and Congress. While the Congress and AAP had tied hands for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, both parties have decided to contest the Assembly elections separately.

The results of the Delhi Assembly elections will be declared on February 8.