AAP severs ties with Congress, to contest Gujarat elections independently

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday (July 3, 2025) declared that his party has ended its association with the Congress, accusing the latter of indirectly assisting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat.

Mr. Kejriwal, addressing the media in Ahmedabad, said the opposition’s Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc was conceived exclusively for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and no longer binds AAP to the Congress.

“AAP will contest the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections independently and will win. We will provide the people with a real alternative to both the BJP and the Congress,” the former Delhi Chief Minister said.

Referring to the recent Visavadar by-election in Junagadh district, Mr. Kejriwal questioned the Congress’s intent. “We have no alliance with Congress. If there was one, why did they field a candidate in Visavadar during the bypoll? They were sent by the BJP to cut our votes. When they failed, the BJP even scolded them,” he remarked.

AAP candidate Gopal Italia won the Visavadar seat, defeating BJP’s Kirit Patel by over 17,000 votes. The Congress candidate, Nitin Ranpariya, finished a distant third with 5,501 votes.

Mr. Kejriwal alleged that the BJP’s uninterrupted three-decade rule in Gujarat had resulted in dissatisfaction across multiple sections of society, including farmers, youth, and the middle class. “Despite rising unemployment and over half of government posts lying vacant, employment is largely being offered on a contractual basis,” he said.

He added that the Congress had “failed as an opposition” and accused the party of acting in concert with the BJP. “People often say they want to defeat the BJP but don’t know who to vote for. Everyone knows Congress is in BJP’s pocket,” he alleged.

Projecting AAP as a credible alternative, Mr. Kejriwal termed the Visavadar result “a turning point in Gujarat politics”. “People have started placing their hopes in AAP,” he said.

He also announced the launch of the Gujarat Jodo Abhiyan, a two-and-a-half-year campaign to strengthen grassroots support ahead of the 2027 elections. The campaign will include door-to-door outreach, and citizens will be encouraged to join AAP through a missed call mechanism. “We’re a youth-driven party. I urge young Gujaratis who want a corruption-free State to join us,” he said.

The BJP currently holds 162 seats in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly. The Congress has 12, while AAP holds five. The remaining seats are occupied by the Samajwadi Party and Independent legislators.