Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced that his party will contest the upcoming Delhi assembly elections independently, putting to rest speculation about a possible alliance with the Congress. Kejriwal stated that AAP would “fight the election on its own strength in Delhi,” ruling out any seat-sharing arrangements with the Congress or other INDIA bloc members.
The elections, scheduled for February next year, had sparked rumors of an alliance between AAP and Congress, with reports suggesting a seat-sharing formula where Congress might contest 15 seats and AAP the remaining constituencies. However, Kejriwal’s declaration has ended the buzz, reaffirming his party’s solo approach.
This announcement aligns with AAP’s recent electoral strategies. In the Haryana Assembly polls held in October, AAP contested independently, breaking away from the INDIA bloc. The alliance talks in Haryana had failed due to unresolved seat-sharing issues, setting a precedent for AAP’s current stance in Delhi.
Kejriwal’s decision follows the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi’s poor performance in Maharashtra’s state elections, which drew criticism from its allies. Analysts suggest that AAP’s move to go solo could be influenced by a desire to consolidate its base and avoid being overshadowed by the Congress.
The AAP chief has maintained a consistent stance against aligning with Congress for state elections, even as both parties previously collaborated under the INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi earlier this year. Despite their joint efforts in campaigning, both AAP and Congress failed to win any of the city’s seven parliamentary seats, with the BJP sweeping all constituencies.
While AAP chose to ally with Congress for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, it adopted a different strategy in Punjab, contesting independently in all 13 seats. The party’s success in Punjab—where it won a sweeping majority in the 2022 Assembly elections—has bolstered AAP’s confidence in its standalone strategy.
Kejriwal’s announcement underscores AAP’s commitment to charting an independent course in Delhi, setting the stage for a competitive and high-stakes assembly election early next year.