The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has officially exited the INDIA bloc, just a day before the alliance is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting to finalise its joint strategy for the monsoon session of Parliament starting July 21. The move marks one of the most serious setbacks to the opposition coalition since its inception.
A Congress leader confirmed that all parties except AAP would attend Saturday’s virtual session.
“People would not be able to come to Delhi on Saturday due to different programmes… we will have an online meeting before the Parliament session. After that, we will meet in Delhi,” said Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, stressing that the bloc remains united.
Despite past tensions with Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) confirmed that Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary, will participate in the meeting. Key topics on the agenda include:
- The Election Commission’s Special Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar
- A discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack
- Recent remarks by Donald Trump regarding brokering peace between India and Pakistan
💬 Reactions from Bloc Members
CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby acknowledged the tensions between AAP and Congress that began during the Delhi Assembly elections, but called for reconciliation:
“CPI(M) believes the INDIA bloc must be strengthened and expanded. I sincerely hope the two parties will be able to settle their differences.”
AAP’s exit comes months after Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) walked out of the bloc in early 2024. A senior Congress leader outlined the implications of the recent development:
“One, of course, the alliance got weaker in Parliament, particularly in the Rajya Sabha. But, more importantly, AAP will try to field candidates in upcoming polls to undercut prospects of non-BJP parties.”
AAP has announced its intention to contest the Bihar elections, and may also target states like Assam, where Congress faces the BJP in a direct contest.
However, not all reactions were negative. Punjab Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa stated:
“AAP’s exit will only strengthen the INDIA alliance by removing ambiguity.”
🗳️ Upcoming State Elections (2026):
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
- Assam
- West Bengal
- Puducherry
AAP’s influence is currently minimal in most southern states, but its foray into Assam and other key battlegrounds could complicate opposition dynamics.