AAP turns back on Congress, extends support to National Conference in J&K
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has officially extended its support to the incoming National Conference (NC) government in Jammu and Kashmir, according to a recent announcement. Mehraj Malik, AAP's sole MLA from the Doda constituency, has submitted a letter of support to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. While the backing from AAP's lone MLA will not affect Omar Abdullah's majority—secured through the support of four independent MLAs, bringing his total to 46 in the 90-member Assembly—it highlights a shift in the political dynamics. Notably, AAP has chosen to support the NC rather than its alliance with the Congress, further indicating the latter's decline in influence.
The NC-Congress alliance surprised many by outperforming exit poll predictions in the Jammu and Kashmir elections. The NC secured 42 seats, while the Congress only managed to win six seats, a significant drop from the 12 it won in the previous election. This result has further spotlighted the Congress' struggle, especially following a weak performance in the Haryana elections, leading to criticism from within the INDIA bloc. One of the strongest critiques came from Shiv Sena (UBT), a bloc member, which blamed the Congress' leadership for its lackluster performance in Haryana. The party's reluctance to share seats with allies like AAP or the Samajwadi Party was highlighted as a major factor in its electoral defeat. Shiv Sena (UBT) warned that similar issues could jeopardize their prospects in the upcoming Maharashtra elections, where they plan to contest alongside the Congress and the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar.
AAP’s decision to support the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, while bypassing the Congress, has been interpreted by some as a pointed criticism of the Congress’ failure to finalize seat-sharing agreements. Multiple rounds of talks between AAP and the Congress for the Haryana election yielded no results, with some blaming senior Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda for the impasse. Following the election results, AAP MP Raghav Chadha, who was part of the negotiations with the Congress, posted a Hindi poem on social media, indirectly reflecting on the missed opportunity for collaboration between the two parties.
The Congress has also faced criticism from the Trinamool Congress, another member of the INDIA bloc. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has previously voiced frustration over the Congress' handling of alliance discussions. In response to these setbacks, Congress leadership, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, has begun a review of both the Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir election outcomes. During a meeting in Delhi, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken revealed that the party is focusing on addressing internal factionalism and evaluating its strategies for future elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. There are also concerns within the party about the conduct of the Election Commission during these elections. As the Congress prepares for key upcoming elections, including in Maharashtra, alliances with INDIA bloc members like Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha remain crucial.
