Congress and AAP face to face, preparations for assembly elections intensified

The stir in Delhi politics has intensified. Even though the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress are together as part of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (India), both the parties are in no mood to make any concessions to each other.
Congress is preparing to exert its full strength in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, so that Aam Aadmi Party can be given a tough challenge.

Congress’s attempt to regain lost ground

The biggest challenge before the Congress in Delhi is to regain its lost ground.

• This time the party is preparing to enter the field with an aggressive strategy.
• A senior state Congress leader said:
  

  “Our goal is to reach out to as many voters as possible and garner their support.”

• Congress has planned to field big faces from the state in the elections.

Congress’s weakness in the last elections

Congress’s performance in the last few elections has been very poor in Delhi.

• 2020 assembly elections:
  • Congress’s vote percentage fell to 4.26%, compared to 24.6% in 2013.
• 2024 Lok Sabha elections:
  • Congress’s vote percentage decreased by about 4% compared to 2019.

For Congress, this decline is posing a challenge to strengthen the party’s position.

AAP benefits from alliance, Congress suffers loss

Congress and AAP had formed an alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

• However, Congress did not get much benefit from this alliance.
• At the same time, Aam Aadmi Party increased its vote percentage.
• State Congress leaders believe that now there is no option left other than fighting the elections with full force against AAP.

Emphasis on aggressive promotion strategy

Strategists suggest that Congress should not succumb to the pressure of dividing anti-BJP votes.

• Contesting elections strongly:
  • The party will have to campaign aggressively and convey its plans and policies to the voters.
• Role of big leaders:
  • Plans are being made to field Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and other top leaders in the campaign.

Congress attacking AAP government

Congress has adopted a strategy to target the AAP government.

• Congress is continuously attacking the government on Delhi issues.
• The party’s focus is to show that the AAP government did not fulfill its promises in the development of Delhi.