NEW DELHI: Congress MP Manish Tewari pointed out on Saturday that the opposition alliance INDIA bloc was formed to “safeguard the soul of the country” and not merely to contest the Lok Sabha elections.
His statement came amid growing concerns about the alliance’s coordination, voiced by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. Raut, citing dissatisfaction, blamed Congress for the alliance’s lack of unity post-elections.
“I agree with what Omar Abdullah said. We fought the Lok Sabha elections together and achieved promising results. However, it was our collective responsibility, especially Congress’s, to keep the INDIA alliance united, chart a way forward, and sustain its momentum,” Raut said.
He further mentioned, “Leaders like Omar Abdullah, Mamta Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal all say that the INDIA alliance has no existence now.”
Addressing these concerns, Tewari told ANI, “INDIA alliance gave a good performance in the country (Lok Sabha elections), because of which BJP could not perform well… The future course of action will be decided by all INDIA leaders together. INDIA alliance was not formed merely for the Lok Sabha elections, it was formed to safeguard the soul of the country…”
“It was formed to save the ‘Idea of India’,” Congress MP said.
Amid this discourse, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal clarified that the upcoming Delhi assembly elections are not tied to the INDIA alliance but will instead be a direct battle between the AAP and BJP.
“Delhi assembly elections are a contest between AAP and BJP, not the INDIA bloc. I am grateful for the support of leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and Uddhav Thackeray. However, this election is about Delhi,” AAP chief said.
The Delhi assembly polls will take place in a single phase on February 5, with votes counted on February 8. The nomination deadline is January 17, with scrutiny on January 18 and the final date for withdrawal on January 20.
A three-way contest is anticipated between AAP, BJP, and Congress. Congress, once dominant with 15 years of rule in Delhi, has struggled in the last two assembly elections, failing to secure any seats.
In contrast, AAP secured a landslide victory in the 2020 elections, winning 62 out of 70 seats, while BJP managed just eight.
