PINCER MOVEMENT

Facing an existential struggle, the AAP and the Congress join hands to take on the BJP 

- MOHIT SHARMA

At a recent convention of resident welfare associations in Delhi, Somnath Bharti, the Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate from the New Delhi constituency for the Lok Sabha polls, listed interventions made to improve the water situation in the national capital. Invited as chief guest to the function in his capacity as vice chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, Bharti made an overtly political speech. Miffed at the platform being used for scoring political points, a good part of the audience, which used to be the AAP’s strength, loudly chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ every time Bharti paused.

With the Lok Sabha elections just round the corner, the AAP, led by its national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has sensed the political mood and has joined hands with the Congress as part of the INDIA bloc to fight together in five states, including Delhi. “There are people in Delhi who have a secular mindset and their vote will not be divided as a result of our alliance,” said four-time Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma. “We will certainly benefit from the seat-sharing arrangement.” Of the seven seats in Delhi, the AAP will contest from four seats leaving three seats for the Congress.

The BJP, meanwhile, continues to bank on the ‘Modi Guarantee’ and takes comfort in the outcome of the two previous general elections. “The people of Delhi showed who they wanted in 2014 and 2019,” said BJP national spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla. “Riding a wave created by [anti-corruption campaigner] Anna Hazare, Kejriwal had sworn to send corrupt leaders to jail. Now, he has joined hands with the same leaders in the INDIA alliance. He should first explain this sudden political U-turn to the people of Delhi,” said Poonawalla.