AAP exits INDIA bloc, alleges secret BJP-Congress deal

New Delhi: The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday officially distanced itself from the INDIA opposition alliance, citing what it called a “secret, corrupt deal” between the Congress and the BJP.

In a sharply worded statement, AAP claimed that the INDIA bloc was only ever intended as a temporary arrangement for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

AAP's national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda alleged that Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi appear to be political opponents publicly but are “guarantors of each other’s survival” behind closed doors. He accused both leaders of shielding one another: Rahul, by supporting narratives that benefit Modi, and Modi, by protecting the Gandhi family from legal consequences.

The announcement came shortly after 16 opposition parties, including the Congress, jointly wrote to Prime Minister Modi seeking a special parliamentary session over the Pahalgam terror attack. AAP submitted a separate but similar demand.

Calling for a purge of Indian politics, Dhanda stated that AAP has “played its part” in helping the opposition reach 240 seats and now intends to operate independently. The party plans to contest every seat in Bihar’s upcoming state election and all future elections without alliances.

Dhanda clarified that AAP MPs may still support opposition stances based on national interest but reiterated that electoral partnerships with the Congress are no longer on the table. The two parties had contested together in Delhi, Gujarat and Haryana during the Lok Sabha polls but were rivals in Punjab and failed to reach seat-sharing agreements in earlier state elections.

With growing friction over failed negotiations and mutual distrust, the announcement marks a formal split and casts new doubt on the future of the INDIA alliance as it regroups post-elections.