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In a twist of political events, Punjab finds itself at the center of a paradoxical scenario as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the principal opposition party, Congress — both integral members of the pan-India opposition bloc INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) — are seemingly at odds within the State. Despite recently joining forces for January 18 (Thursday) mayoral polls in Chandigarh, the capital city of Punjab, the Congress party has intensified its protests against the AAP-led Government, creating a visible rift within the opposition alliance.
 
Even as the top leaders of the two parties are holding meetings to cement the alliance under INDIA bloc, their leaders in Punjab chose to heighten criticism against one another instead of fostering unity, creating a discernible rift within the pan-India opposition alliance.
 
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday reiterated that AAP would secure all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, later this year. Despite being part of the INDIA bloc with Congress, Mann hinted at a slim chance of alliance in Punjab, stating his reluctance to share any of the 13 Lok Sabha seats with another party.
 
Mann, speaking with the media on the sidelines of a government event, said: “Punjab will emerge as a lighthouse by giving all the 13 seats of Lok Sabha to is in the coming general polls.”
 
“The State Government has done marvelous work for the welfare of the people, so the masses will once again stand with us…History will be created in the State by 13-0, where 13 seats will be a verdict in favour of pro-people policies of the State Government and the opposition will be badly renounced by people for their anti-Punjab stance,” he said.
 
Mann’s assertion came a day after senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Raghav Chadha characterized the alliance in Chandigarh for mayoral polls as the foundation stone for INDIA’s fight against the BJP. Chadha, who met former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal on Wednesday, had also expressed confidence that Chandigarh’s mayoral elections would reshape the political landscape, serving as the first direct contest between the BJP and the INDIA bloc.
 
Contrary to this, the Congress party, on the same day, had staged a massive protest on Tuesday focusing on the AAP-led Punjab Government’s “failure” to maintain law and order in the state. Prominent leaders from the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) participated in the protest, including party chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and state party affairs’ in-charge Devendra Yadav.
 
During the protest in Kharar, Congress Legislative Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa declared that the internal issues within the INDIA bloc would be resolved in the next two days. Bajwa conveyed that all the speculations regarding Congress alliance with AAP in Punjab would be cleared in the coming days, as the state leaders have already communicated their stand to the high command.
 
As the political drama unfolds, the protests and statements from both AAP and Congress leaders underscore the challenges of maintaining a united front within the opposition bloc. With the Lok Sabha elections drawing nearer, the ability of the INDIA alliance to reconcile internal differences becomes crucial for presenting a cohesive alternative to the ruling party.
 
The unease within the alliance was fueled by a recent meeting in Delhi involving AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with prominent AAP leaders Chadha and Sandeep Pathak. The meeting triggered restlessness among Punjab's political leaders, especially in the Congress, intensifying speculation about the fate of the alliance.
 
While a senior Congress leader emphasized the party’s stand against an alliance with AAP in Punjab, sources suggested that Congress MPs were in favour of such collaboration. As per the information available, the two parties have also discussed, in initial stages, the seat-sharing arrangements between them.
 
A senior Congress leader, requesting anonymity, has emphatically declared that majority of Congress party leaders in did not want an alliance with AAP in Punjab. However, insiders within the party revealed a complex narrative as the party MPs seem to be in favour of the idea.
 
Currently, out of the total 13 Lok Sabha seats, AAP has one sitting MP, while Congress holds seven seats — including “under suspension” Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, the wife of former Chief Minister and now senior BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh. She was suspended from the party in 2023 for indulging in “anti-party activities”. In comparison, both the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) each have two MPs. The remaining seat was held by pro-Khalistan ideologue and SAD (Amritsar-Mann) president Simranjit Singh Mann.
 
Seat-sharing discussions suggest that if an alliance is forged in Punjab, AAP would receive seven seats, and Congress would be allocated the remaining six, along with the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat. A source within the Congress asserted that in this way, both the Congress and AAP will have seven seats each. “Giving the mayor’s post to AAP is the part of this understanding,” said the Congress leader.
 
Despite these talks, the Congress camp remains adamant that an alliance in Punjab is out of the question. A senior party leader emphasized that while collaborations might happen in other states, it is a different scenario in Punjab. The leaders in Punjab have been citing what they perceive as vendettas unleashed by AAP on Congress, referring to the recent action against Congress Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira by the Punjab Police in connection to a 2015 narcotics case. Khaira subsequently faced charges of criminal intimidation but has been granted bail in both cases. His arrest has become a contentious point between the two parties.
 
As the internal strife within the Congress party continues, the possibility of an alliance with AAP remains uncertain. The coming days are crucial as the party grapples with conflicting opinions from local leaders and MPs. The decision-making process is further complicated by the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' embarked upon by Rahul Gandhi, potentially delaying a final decision on the alliance and leaving the political landscape in Punjab in a state of suspense.