INDIA bloc crumbling, AAP to contest all Punjab seats alone

• AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal reveals the party's decision to contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab and one in Chandigarh
• This decision signals a potential rift in the INDIA alliance 
• The two parties, traditionally bitter rivals in Punjab and Delhihad contested the Chandigarh mayoral elections together last month 

In a significant development, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal declared on Saturday that the party will field candidates in all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab and one in Chandigarh, effectively signaling the end of the Opposition's INDIA alliance in the state. Kejriwal, addressing a gathering in Khanna, Punjab, sought blessings from the people and pledged to announce the candidates for these seats within the next 10-15 days.

Reflecting on the party's past success in Punjab, Kejriwal appealed to the voters, stating, "Two years back, you gave us blessings. You gave 92 out of 117 seats to us (in Assembly elections), you created history in Punjab. I have come to you with folded hands, asking for one more blessing." 

The announcement comes amid stalled discussions between AAP and the Congress regarding seat sharing. Despite recent collaborations in the Chandigarh mayoral elections, tensions between the two parties seem to have intensified, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticizing the Congress and asserting AAP's determination to contest all seats independently.

Reacting to the announcement, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the INDIA bloc is crumbling.

"One more blow to the INDI alliance...Arvind Kejriwal has announced today that the AAP will contest alone on 13 seats of Punjab and one seat of Chandigarh. It means the INDI Alliance will not contest there, there won't be an alliance there...The structure of the INDI Alliance is crumbling...No mission, no vision, only commission, only corruption, only confusion, only contradiction.