Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday reiterated that his party would contest the upcoming Delhi assembly elections on its own, firmly dismissing speculation about a possible alliance with the Congress.  Ruling out any possible alliance with the Congress, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated on his ‘X’ handle (erstwhile Twitter): “Aam Aadmi Party will be fighting this election on its own strength in Delhi. There is no possibility of any alliance with Congress.” His remark came a day after he met veteran politician Sharad Pawar at his Delhi home, also attended by senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The recent buzz over alliance between the two Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners was fuelled by cancellation of the Congress' 'Nyay Chaupal' event scheduled on Wednesday in which party leader Rahul Gandhi was to participate. There was a buzz that 15 seats would be reserved for Congress, one or two for other INDIA bloc members, and the rest for AAP.

The AAP has emphasized its track record of defeating BJP decisively in three consecutive polls and expressed confidence in repeating the feat under Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership.

“I want to categorically state that the upcoming Delhi elections will be fought by the AAP based on its organizational strength and political capabilities. The question of any alliance does not arise at all. Reports suggesting a possible alliance between AAP and Congress are completely baseless,” AAP Rajaya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said.

This is not the first time the AAP leader has ruled out a tie-up with Congress despite being part of the INDIA opposition bloc. Earlier this month, Kejriwal stated unequivocally that the party would not forge any alliances for the Delhi assembly polls as it eyes a third consecutive term.

The AAP has been in power in Delhi since 2015. The upcoming assembly polls, slated to be held early next year, will likely test the ruling party's governance credentials against the BJP’s efforts to expand its influence in the city-state.

The INDIA bloc, a coalition of 26 opposition parties, had been hoping to consolidate anti-BJP votes in the capital, but Kejriwal’s stance signals a potential fracture in unity. Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav has also admitted as much, calling the tie-up with AAP "a mistake" and asserting that the Congress will contest all 70 assembly seats in the city on its own. Yadav said that Delhi Congress will contest the upcoming Assembly elections alone, as it was in a very strong position to win the elections and come back to power.

"The decision on going solo was taken after the Lok Sabha results and we will fight on all 70 seats by ourselves and there will be no alliance," Yadav said.

The decision sets the stage for a triangular contest in the Delhi assembly polls, with AAP, Congress, and BJP vying for power. In the past two assembly elections in 2015 and 2020, AAP won 67 and 62 seats respectively, while the BJP secured three and eight seats in the 70-member legislature. The Congress drew a blank in both elections.

AAP had contested on 4 seats while Congress on 3 seats out of 7 parliamentary constituencies in Delhi. However, neither of the two parties could open the account as the BJP swept all 7 seats in the city.

However, in contrast to Delhi, the AAP had contested all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab on its own, ditching the Congress in the state. The AAP is in power in Punjab with a huge majority. In 2022 Assembly polls in Punjab, the Kejriwal-led party had swept the state winning 92 out of the 117 seats, dislodging Congress from power.