Ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, political parties are gearing up for an intense battle. In a significant development, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced its support for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the forthcoming elections. Alongside Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), the SP has extended its backing to the ruling AAP in Delhi.
As part of the campaign strategy, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will join AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in a roadshow in the Rithala constituency on January 30. In addition, several SP leaders, including Kairana MP Iqra Hasan, will actively campaign for AAP candidates. This collaboration underscores the growing camaraderie between regional parties within the INDIA alliance, despite some internal divisions.
AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal, while accusing the BJP of offering “freebies to corporates,” described the 2025 Delhi assembly elections as a “battle of two ideologies.” Notably, AAP and Congress, both members of the INDIA alliance, had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Delhi. However, the two parties have decided to contest the Delhi assembly polls separately, leading to a division of support within the alliance. Despite this, key INDIA bloc allies remain firmly aligned with AAP.
Addressing the alliance’s unity, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav stated on January 15, “The INDIA alliance is intact. When the alliance was formed, it was decided that regional parties would be supported where they are strong.”
The Delhi assembly elections are scheduled to take place in a single phase on February 5, with the counting of votes on February 8. In the 2020 elections, AAP secured a landslide victory, winning 62 of the 70 seats, while the BJP managed just eight. In contrast, the Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 consecutive years, has failed to win any seats in the past two assembly elections. As the elections approach, Arvind Kejriwal has vowed to address critical issues, including sewage management, if AAP retains power.