AHMEDABAD: The Congress party’s Gujarat unit has drawn a firm line in the sand, formally distancing itself from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and signaling a deeper fragmentation within the INDIA alliance.
In a significant political development, Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil announced that the party will contest the upcoming Visavadar and Kadi by-elections independently, putting to rest any speculation of an electoral understanding with AAP.
This move comes in the backdrop of a visible rift between the two INDIA bloc constituents, with AAP unilaterally declaring Gopal Italia as its candidate for the Visavadar seat, without consulting Congress. The AAP leadership justified its decision, citing the Congress’ prior move of fielding a candidate in the Vav by-election, also without coordination.
Speaking to reporters after a key meeting of the Congress Political Affairs Committee, Gohil firmly stated that contesting under the Congress banner is a collective decision of the party. He dismissed claims of any prior understanding with AAP, emphasizing that there was no agreement—tacit or explicit—on either the Visavadar or Vav seats. "There is no alliance with AAP in Gujarat—neither for the upcoming bypolls nor for the general elections," Gohil asserted.
The widening chasm within the opposition ranks could offer the BJP a tactical advantage. In Visavadar, where the by-election is likely to be held later this year, the split opposition vote is expected to work in BJP’s favor. The seat, dominated by Patidars and upper castes, carries symbolic significance as it was once represented by former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel.
In 2022, AAP’s Bhupendra Bhayani had pulled off a surprise victory here, relegating the Congress to a distant third with just 16,781 votes. The bypoll, delayed due to a legal challenge by BJP’s defeated candidate Harshad Ribadiya, now becomes a litmus test for opposition unity—or the lack thereof.
With AAP eating into Congress' traditional vote share, the grand old party has suffered notable setbacks, including the 2022 assembly debacle and loss in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation—once a Congress stronghold untouched by BJP for a decade. The battle lines in Gujarat are now clearly drawn, not just against the BJP, but increasingly within the opposition itself.