New Delhi, July 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh on Sunday confirmed that the party will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections alone, without being part of the INDIA bloc -- the alliance it joined for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to IANS, Singh, who also serves as AAP's in-charge for Bihar, said the decision aligns with the party's independent approach seen in other states.
"The INDIA bloc was only for the Lok Sabha elections, and then we fought alone in Haryana elections, Delhi elections, Gujarat and Punjab by-elections. Now, we will also fight alone in the Bihar elections," Singh stated.
This declaration comes amid growing speculation that AAP has distanced itself from the INDIA bloc after its underwhelming performance in the Lok Sabha polls. The AAP-Congress alliance failed to win any seat in Delhi, where the BJP swept all seven seats for the third consecutive time.
The AAP has also attributed the defeat to Congress and slammed the party for failing to present as a strong Opposition.
Earlier, Singh had announced that AAP would not attend the INDIA bloc meeting held on July 19, indicating a formal departure from the alliance. "The party no longer remains a part of the alliance," he reiterated.
When asked if other INDIA bloc members might follow AAP's path and exit the coalition due to Congress' leadership, Singh responded, "As far as the Aam Aadmi Party is concerned, whether on the streets or in the Assembly, they have played and will continue to play a strong opposition role everywhere. As far as other parties are concerned, I can't say. I can only speak for my party."
His comments also come weeks after AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's earlier remark following the party's bypoll victory in Gujarat's Visavadar, where he accused Congress of helping the BJP by cutting AAP's votes.
"The INDIA bloc was only for the Lok Sabha polls. Now, there is no alliance from our side," Kejriwal had said.
Talking about the Monsoon session of Parliament, Singh said that the AAP MPs will raise key issues such as the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor, the demolition of slums in Delhi, and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar.
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