“The onus of making the AAP win is not on the Congress": Supriya Shrinate amid BJP's Delhi lead

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate stated that the party is not responsible for ensuring AAP’s victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, emphasizing Congress' focus on its own electoral strategies. “The onus of making the AAP win is not on the Congress… Our responsibility is to mount a spirited campaign and contest elections strongly,” she said. The statement came as BJP took a strong lead in the Delhi election trends, with early results showing the party ahead in over 50 of the 70 assembly seats.

The Congress-AAP friction has been evident throughout the campaign, with leaders from both sides making sharp statements. Rahul Gandhi accused the AAP government of mismanaging Delhi’s water supply and criticized its alleged involvement in the liquor policy case. AAP countered by alleging that Congress was working alongside the BJP. Disagreements between opposition parties have surfaced in several states, including Maharashtra and Haryana, affecting joint campaign efforts under the INDIA bloc, which was formed in June 2023 to challenge the BJP.

Shrinate also pointed to AAP’s role in previous state elections where opposition votes were divided. “In Goa and Uttarakhand, AAP’s vote-share was the difference between Congress and BJP,” she said. In Goa’s 2022 Assembly elections, BJP secured 40.3% of votes, Congress got 13.5%, and AAP received 12.8%. In Uttarakhand’s 2022 elections, BJP won 44.3%, Congress had 37.9%, and AAP got 4.82%. These figures indicate how AAP’s presence influenced vote shares in crucial elections where Congress was the main opposition party.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah commented on the Congress-AAP differences, posting “Aur lado” on social media. His remark followed previous tensions within the INDIA bloc, where coordination issues arose during state elections. In Haryana, Congress and AAP struggled to agree on seat-sharing talks, and in Maharashtra, alliance troubles surfaced between Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), impacting opposition performance.

Exit polls had projected a BJP victory in Delhi, which AAP dismissed, stating confidence in securing a third consecutive term. However, as counting progressed, BJP widened its lead, signaling a potential end to AAP’s rule in the capital. Final results will determine whether BJP secures a majority and forms the next government in Delhi.