In a widening of fissures between the Congress and the AAP, allies at the Central level as part of the INDIA bloc, Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has said.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led party is its opponent in Delhi and is harbouring a misconception that it will win again in the upcoming Assembly elections. In a swift, stinging response, Mr Kejriwal said Mr Gehlot’s remarks have laid bare the “secret cooperation” between the Congress and the BJP for the Delhi polls.
The public spat between the senior leaders of the INDIA allies comes days after the AAP said it would ask other members to remove the Congress from the opposition bloc unless one of its leaders, Ajay Maken, apologised for calling Arvind Kejriwal “anti-national”. Even then, the AAP had said that the Congress was doing everything it could to ensure that it helped the BJP in the Delhi elections.
Answering a question on Wednesday, Ashok Gehlot, who is a former Rajasthan Chief Minister, said in Hindi, “They (the AAP) are our opposition. They are harbouring a misconception since they won twice (in Delhi)… the voters’ mood seems to have changed now. The Congress is campaigning well and we may see good results this time.”
Sharing a clip of Mr Gehlot’s remarks on X, Mr Kejriwal said the Congress leader’s comments have proven what the people already believed.
“Gehlot ji, you made it clear that the Congress sees the AAP as the opposition in Delhi. You remained silent on the BJP. People also felt that the AAP is the opposition for the Congress and the BJP is its partner. People also believed that the BJP and the Congress are fighting the elections together against the AAP. So far, this cooperation between you two was a secret. Today, you have made it public. Thank you, on behalf of the people of Delhi, for this clarification,” the former Delhi chief minister wrote in Hindi.
Support From Allies
Earlier on Wednesday, the Trinamool Congress – another key INDIA ally – threw its weight behind the AAP for the Delhi polls, following in the footsteps of the Samajwadi Party, which had reportedly done so a day earlier. Thanking the Trinamool Congress and its President Mamata Banerjee for the support, Mr Kejriwal said he was “personally grateful”.
“TMC has announced support to AAP in Delhi elections. I am personally grateful to Mamta Didi. Thank you Didi. U have always supported and blessed us in our good and bad times (sic),” he wrote on X. Senior Trinamool Congress MP and the party’s leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, responded almost immediately, saying, “We have your back @AamAadmiParty.”
Mr Kejriwal had also expressed gratitude to INDIA ally Samajwadi Party on Tuesday after its chief, Akhilesh Yadav, reportedly said he would support the AAP. “Thank you very much Akhilesh ji. You always support and stand with us. I and the people of Delhi are grateful for this,” he wrote on Tuesday.
The Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress had backed the AAP during the 2020 elections as well. Delhi will vote on February 5 and counting of votes will be held on February 8.