Following disappointing results in recent assembly elections, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal emphasized the need for the INDIA bloc parties to come together and strategize carefully for future elections.
Sibal acknowledged that the Congress party strives to move forward with consensus within alliances but admitted that challenges have arisen at times. He pointed to the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, where the Congress’ poor performance hindered the success of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’, preventing it from securing a majority.
“The Congress party always aims to work together and seek consent, but there are times when issues arise. In Bihar, despite being allotted seats, Congress couldn’t win, and the RJD blamed Congress for their failure to form a government. All parties in the INDIA alliance must decide on a clear strategy for contesting elections,” Sibal said during a press conference.
With the BJP securing victories in recent elections in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Haryana, Sibal highlighted that the BJP’s strength lies in its unified command structure. He pointed out that the BJP fights elections under a single leadership, which gives them a significant advantage.
“In the BJP, there is a single command, and they contest elections with that unified leadership, which benefits them. In Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Congress was part of alliances and reaped the benefits. The INDIA alliance will need to sit together and figure out how to move forward,” Sibal stated.
Sibal also referred to remarks made by Sharad Pawar, who has repeatedly emphasized that the INDIA alliance functions as a national entity during national elections, but this is not always applicable at the regional level. He explained that regional parties within the alliance seek to expand their presence outside their home states, while national parties like Congress aim to maintain their influence. Sibal urged all parties to continue discussions with mutual consent.
“There’s no doubt the INDIA alliance will remain intact. The leaders of our regional parties are sensible and understand the challenges we face,” Sibal added.
Meanwhile, the Congress party, which had hoped for a resurgence in Delhi, suffered another setback, failing to secure any seats in the Delhi assembly elections. This marks the third consecutive time Congress has failed to win a seat in Delhi, a city it governed for 15 years before 1998.
On February 8, the BJP claimed a two-thirds majority in Delhi, while the AAP faced significant losses, and Congress continued its downward spiral. In earlier elections, the BJP also emerged victorious in Maharashtra and Haryana, dampening the Opposition’s hopes of sustaining momentum for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
