Delhi Assembly Elections 2025: I.N.D.I.A. allies support AAP over Congress in power move

New Delhi: I.N.D.I.A. allies are flexing their muscles in the bloc against the Congress with Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party announcing their support to Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in the Delhi Assembly elections.

Tension between AAP and Congress had been rising in the recent weeks after the latter's leader Ajay Maken calling Kejriwal an "anti-national" and the former warning that it would seek support of other parties to "drop" the I.N.D.I.A bloc's unofficial leader.

On Wednesday, Kejriwal attacked the Congress following former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot calling the AAP an "opponent" in Delhi, saying the Congress leader's "clarification" has confirmed that his party and BJP are now officially in an alliance.

Soon after this, Kejriwal thanked Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for her support in a post on 'X'. A day before, he had thanked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his support.

Both Trinamool and SP have no big presence in the national capital but the optics are bad for Congress at the national level, as more and more parties in the I.N.D.I.A bloc are attacking the grand old party following its defeat in Haryana and Maharashtra.

Kejriwal said, "TMC has announced support to AAP in Delhi elections. I am personally grateful to Mamta Didi. Thank you Didi. You have always supported and blessed us in our good and bad times." Responding to Kejriwal, Trinamool Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O'Brien said, "We have your back, Aam Aadmi Party".

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a known Mamata-baiter, warned Kejriwal against taking Trinamool support, alleging that Bengalis in Delhi are aware of her “autocratic traits”.

Earlier, the AAP chief had responded to SP chief, "Thank you very much Akhilesh-ji. You always support and accompany us. For this I and the people of Delhi are grateful."

Trinamool had been keeping a distance from the Congress since its Assembly losses and publicly demanded that Mamata be made the leader of the alliance. In Parliament, Trinamool did not join Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc's protests while AAP was part of it.

Earlier in the day, Gehlot told reporters, "AAP is our opponent. They are in delusion after winning twice. I feel that the atmosphere in Delhi has changed. Congress is campaigning better. I am sure the result will come good,"

Gehlot's comments on Congress prospects came while answering a question from media after unveiling Congress' guarantee 'Jeevan Raksha Yojana', promising health insurance up to Rs 25 lakh for all Delhiites for treatment.

Responding to Gehlot, AAP chief Kejriwal said, "you made it clear that AAP is the opposition to Congress in Delhi. You remained silent on BJP. People also felt that AAP is the opposition for Congress and BJP is its partner. People also believed that BJP and Congress are fighting the elections together against AAP."

"Till now this cooperation between you two was secret. Today you have made it public. Thank you on behalf of the people of Delhi for this clarification," Kejriwal posted on 'X'.

This was not the first time Kejriwal had attacked Congress in recent times. He had made similar remarks last week when women from Punjab protested outside his residence seeking implementation of the promise of monthly allowance to women made during Punjab Assembly elections.

While the Delhi Congress leaders are vehemently opposed to the AAP, party's central leadership advocates a middle-path keeping the national political scene in mind. On its instruction, sources said, Maken's second press conference to "further explain" why Kejriwal was an anti-national was "postponed".