Arvind Kejriwal Declares AAP Will Contest Delhi Assembly Polls Solo, Snubs INDIA Bloc

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that his party would contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections independently, delivering a blow to the opposition INDIA bloc.

Kejriwal's statement comes as the political environment in the capital intensifies ahead of elections anticipated early next year.

Photo Credit: PTI

The polls will determine the composition of the 70-member legislature, where AAP currently holds 62 seats.

"AAP will have no alliance for assembly polls in Delhi," Kejriwal declared during a press conference in response to a question.

The Delhi elections are set to be a contest between AAP's governance track record and the BJP's attempts to strengthen its presence in the city-state.

The INDIA bloc, a coalition of 26 opposition parties, had hoped to unite anti-BJP votes in Delhi, but Kejriwal's decision points to a potential rift in the alliance.

This is not the first time AAP has distanced itself from the coalition. Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal ruled out partnering with Congress in Punjab and announced that AAP would contest all 13 seats in the state independently.

Kejriwal also addressed an incident during a padyatra on Saturday, where a liquid substance was thrown at him, using the episode to criticise the central government for what he described as a collapse of law and order in Delhi.

"I expected Home Minister Amit Shah to take action after I raised concerns about law and order... But instead, I was attacked during my padyatra. Liquid was thrown at me; while it was harmless, it could have been dangerous," Kejriwal remarked.