Mumbai: The internal conflict between INDIA bloc allies, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, played a significant role in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly Election 2025, Shiv Sena (UBT) stated in its mouthpiece Saamana. The editorial questioned the relevance of opposition alliances if their members continued to fight amongst themselves rather than challenging the BJP.
The BJP won a massive 48 out of 70 seats in Delhi, while AAP suffered a major setback, securing only 22 seats. Congress, which has been struggling in the state, failed to win a single seat for the third consecutive election. Saamana criticized both AAP and Congress for focusing more on attacking each other rather than defeating the BJP, which, according to the editorial, handed an easy victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The editorial sarcastically remarked that if opposition parties continued this way, there was no need to form alliances at all.
The divide between AAP and Congress was evident throughout the campaign, with both parties launching attacks on each other. This internal strife, the editorial claimed, was not only damaging in Delhi but also had a similar impact in Maharashtra, where the BJP-led alliance won the 2024 state assembly elections. The piece further mentioned that a similar pattern had emerged in Haryana, where opposition disunity helped the BJP secure another win.
The editorial also raised questions about internal sabotage within the Congress, suggesting that some elements within the party might have deliberately undermined Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. It further criticized veteran social activist Anna Hazare for his remarks against Arvind Kejriwal, pointing out that Hazare’s anti-corruption movement had once helped Kejriwal rise in politics. Saamana accused Hazare of remaining silent on alleged corruption under the Modi government, citing issues like the Rafale deal and the Hindenburg report on the Adani Group.
The editorial concluded by warning that if opposition parties failed to learn from the Delhi election results, they would only strengthen what it described as Modi and Shah’s “autocratic rule.” It also noted that delays in seat-sharing discussions among Maharashtra opposition parties had created confusion, ultimately benefiting the ruling BJP. The piece sarcastically suggested that if opposition leaders continued to fight among themselves, they could take credit for enabling authoritarian governance, adding that there would be no need for even a Ganga dip to wash away their sins.
