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New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its exit from the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. The announcement came just a day before a meeting of the bloc is scheduled in Delhi. AAP quit the alliance of nearly 3 dozen parties saying that "it has failed to stay united and take steps to further its agenda."
The group was formed in July 2023 to counter the BJP's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The party has quit the alliance just days ahead of the beginning of the monsoon session of the Parliament.
The announcement was made by the party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. The AAP leader blamed the Congress party for its decision. Singh also said that like the previous year, the AAP will fight all upcoming bypolls and the Bihar Assembly elections independently.
Hindustan Times quoted the AAP Rajya Sabha MP as saying, "The AAP is not a part of the INDIA alliance, though we will continue to strongly raise public issues in Parliament, oppose the government whenever we believe it is in the wrong. We have always played the role of a strong opposition and will continue to do that. The INDIA alliance should hold its meetings and take whatever decisions it wants to take."
He said that the Congress failed to keep the Opposition united after the 2024 elections. The INDIA bloc had won 234 seats in the Lok Sabha Elections, pulling the BJP to lowest tally since 2009. However the BJP still managed to remain the single largest party in Parliament and cobbled up an alliance to form the government at the Centre.
The AAP accused the INDIA bloc of not holding any meetings post the 2024 election loss. Singh also accused it of not taking enough steps to further its agenda and putting out a clear roadmap for the future of the alliance.
Singh asked, "The Congress is the largest party in the alliance. But did it play its part in keeping the parties united?"
The AAP and Congress jointly contested the Lok Sabha Elections in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Goa and Chandigarh. However they chose to separately contest the 2025 Delhi Election, which was held in February 2025.
Congress had a sharp reaction to AAP's exit from the Opposition alliance. Congress leader from Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa said that AAP’s exit will only strengthen the INDIA alliance. He claimed that Rahul Gandhi had emerged as a clear leader of the OPposition. He saod that it was only Gandhi who was talking about the Constitution, the secular ethos that bond the country and democracy. He said that after the AAP’s exit, the ambiguity in the alliance had been removed and now all real and committed parties are together.
Bajwa also targeted Arvind Kejriwal and said that he was seen urging Congress leaders to defect and join the AAP during the LOk Sabha Elections.
The upcoming monsoon session of the Parliament will show clearly how AAP's exit will play out in the Opposition camp.
