The Congress managed to play a spoiler for the AAP which suffered heavily in Scheduled Caste and Muslim-dominated segments where Congress made minor gains at AAP’s cost and BJP’s advantage.”Aur lado aapas mein!!! (Keep on fighting each other),” National Conference leader and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X with a meme, in an apparent jibe at the AAP and the Congress.The decimation of the Congress and its role of a spoiler are bound to impact the unity of an already-fragile INDIA bloc whose partners have been at variance over ideological issues and electoral alignments.The friction between INDIA bloc partners may be visible in the assembly polls in Bihar.The poor show of the Congress in Delhi, after Haryana and Maharashtra, will also lead to further diminishing of its dominant position in the Opposition bloc.So while Congress and AAP had tied up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, Chandigarh and Haryana, they decided to go it alone in Delhi.AAP leader Jasmine Shah had on election eve claimed the party was firmly placed in Delhi and didn’t need any allies.The Congress for its part woke up late in Delhi fielding candidates in all 70 seats but primarily focussing on 18 seats where it didn’t win but managed to affect the AAP.Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also launched a spirited campaign but failed to make any impact.The dismal show under Rahul Gandhi as lead campaigner is bound to further raise question marks on his ability to deliver at the hustings with the BJP likely to sharpen its attack on Congress as a dynastic party focussed on one family.The Congress meanwhile appears determined to go it alone from here on and leaders say it may have suffered in Delhi but the impact of Delhi battle will be felt in Punjab in 2027 where, they say, Congress would be the principal beneficiary of disaffection towards the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP regime.
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