Amid growing tension between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress in Delhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has intervened. He advised both the parties that they should understand who their “real enemy” is. He was clearly referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Controversy within the ‘India’ alliance
Before the Delhi Assembly elections, two constituent parties of ‘India’ alliance, AAP and Congress, have come face to face. Congress recently released a 12-point white paper accusing Arvind Kejriwal’s party of not fulfilling promises and mismanagement. In response, AAP accused Congress of colluding with BJP and warned that if Congress did not take disciplinary action against its leaders within 24 hours, they would demand Congress’s ouster from the alliance.
Sanjay Raut’s advice: Unite and focus on the real enemy
Sanjay Raut appealed to end the ongoing tension between the two parties. He said, “Congress and AAP fight elections separately at the state level and they may have different views, but they have to understand who their real enemy is. If this understanding is not there, everything is in vain.”
Raut also said that the fight between AAP and Congress is nothing new, but now they are members of the ‘India’ alliance. They should understand the importance of alliance and resolve their mutual differences. He clarified that BJP is the main rival of both the parties.
Delhi Congress’s allegations and AAP’s reaction
In its white paper, Congress targeted AAP and BJP and accused them of not fulfilling the promises. At the same time, AAP called it a proof of Congress’s nexus with BJP. Due to this heated debate, the possibility of rift in the alliance has increased.
AAP also alleged that Congress and BJP are carrying out united attacks against the ruling party in Delhi. The party says that Congress is deeply hurt by its defeat, because AAP has taken away Congress’s support base in Delhi and Punjab.
Raut’s conclusion: Need to rethink election strategy
Sanjay Raut said, “Congress should understand that it did not get any success in the last three Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Delhi. The ruling party (AAP) is always the opposition’s target. But under the opposition alliance, Congress and AAP should unite against the BJP.”
path to the future
This dispute is emerging as a big challenge in the ‘India’ alliance. Raut’s statement indicates that if mutual differences continue, the unity of the alliance may weaken. Now it remains to be seen whether Congress and AAP are successful in resolving their differences and making a strategy against BJP or not.
