Synopsis
Congress MP Manickam Tagore clarified that the INDIA bloc was formed for the 2024 general elections, not state polls, amid criticism of Congress playing spoilsport for AAP in Delhi. He suggested questioning AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who he claims broke the alliance.
ANIAmid criticism that the AAP-Congress bickering benefited the BJP in Delhi, Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday asserted that the INDIA bloc was formed for general elections 2024 and state-specific alliances were the way forward in the assembly polls.
Responding to those criticising the Congress for playing spoilsport for the AAP in Delhi, Tagore said alliance partners are asking the wrong person as they should put forward their questions to the person who “broke the alliance” in Delhi, an apparent reference to AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
“One thing is very clear INDIA alliance was created for general elections 2024. In different states, different strategy was evolved (in those polls also). Aam Aadmi Party and Congress had an alliance in Delhi but not in Punjab. We had an alliance in Gujarat but not in their places. They were supporting us in Goa,” he said.
“In assembly elections , Arvind Kejriwal ji announced on December 1 that they are fighting alone. We hope that our alliance partners will also understand that they are asking the wrong person, they should ask the question to the person who broke the alliance,” Tagore told reporters outside Parliament.
He asserted that the INDIA bloc was formed particularly for general elections 2024.
“Its main idea was to channelise the anti-Modi, anti-BJP anti-RSS forces at one level, that has been done. After that, coordination in Parliament has been happening at the floor level,” he said.
“The speech of the leader of the opposition (Rahul Gandhi) had talked about an INDIA bloc vision as an alternative vision, it was not just a vision of the Congress. So we are positive towards it (INDIA bloc), But we know how one alliance partner’s reaction can spoil it,” he said.
“State elections are going to be different. State elections are going to be fought on state-level alliances. In Parliament, we are coordinating and our LoP calls it an INNDIA bloc vision,” Tagore said.
In Parliament, the SP, TMC, AAP, everybody is together in the fight against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Congress MP from Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar said.
“INDIA bloc was formed like that — we had an alliance in Delhi but not in Punjab. The Congress has an alliance with CPI(M) in Tamil Nadu but not in Kerala,” he said.
Asked about Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ram Gopal Yadav’s criticism and some sections calling the Congress arrogant, Tagore said, “We are humble and polite that is why they are speaking and we are keeping mum.”
The AAP — which had won 62 assembly constituencies in 2020 and 67 in 2015 — saw its tally plunge to 22 as the BJP registered a landslide victory with 48 seats in the 70-member House. The Congress drew a blank for third time in the assembly polls in Delhi.
The AAP and the Congress are constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc and had contested last year’s Lok Sabha elections in an alliance in Delhi. However, they took on each other in the assembly polls.
