Kejriwal declares AAP will go solo in Delhi elections, dismisses Congress alliance
Arvind Kejriwal confirmed on Thursday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will contest the upcoming Delhi assembly election independently. He dismissed the possibility of an alliance with Congress, posting on X that the party will rely on its own strength for the election.
This is not the first time Kejriwal has made such statements. Earlier, he emphasized that AAP aims for a third consecutive term without forming any alliances. His remarks follow reports that AAP and Congress were in the final stages of talks for a potential coalition.
On Monday, AAP released its second list of candidates, featuring 20 new names. Among them is Manish Sisodia, who will contest from Jangpura instead of Patparganj. The party has replaced 17 sitting MLAs with fresh faces, but re-nominated some familiar names, including Sisodia, Rakhi Birla, and Deepu Chaudhary.
The Congress, which governed Delhi for 15 years, has struggled in the last two elections. In 2020, AAP won 62 of the 70 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured only 8 seats. The Delhi assembly elections are expected in early 2025.
Meanwhile, Congress Delhi president Devendra Yadav criticized AAP for the worsening law and order situation in the city, accusing Kejriwal of being responsible. He also demanded that Kejriwal follow through with his call for the resignation of Delhi’s Chief Minister Atishi, similar to the demands he made during the Nirbhaya case. Yadav claimed that women in Delhi are suffering from rising crime rates, including gang wars, murders, rapes, and other violent incidents.
