New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS): As Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut called for a formal announcement if the INDIA bloc is no longer needed, Congress MP Tariq Anwar on Friday said that each party in it has its own existence and can make decisions independently.
Speaking to IANS, Anwar emphasised that while the Congress remains committed to the alliance for the national-level Lok Sabha elections, the possibility of extending the alliance for state-level Assembly elections is unlikely.
"It has already been clarified from Congress's side that we are part of an alliance at the national level for the Lok Sabha elections. However, for the Assembly elections, it doesn’t seem feasible as every party has its own existence and can take decisions independently," he said.
On the future of the INDIA bloc, Anwar added: "Yes, of course, whenever there will be any Lok Sabha elections, the INDIA bloc should remain intact."
Responding to Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) accusations of the BJP being anti-Purvanchal, he dismissed the claims, saying, "I don't think there is any reality in this."
Meanwhile, with the AAP and the Congress both vying for influence in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, the cracks within the INDIA alliance have become more apparent. Raut, in his statement, blamed Congress for the lack of coordination, claiming that no meeting of the INDIA bloc had been held since the Lok Sabha elections.
He noted that leaders from key parties within the alliance, including Tejashwi Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and Omar Abdullah, had expressed doubts about the bloc’s existence. "If this feeling spreads among the people, the largest party in the alliance, Congress, is responsible for it," he contended.
Raut further criticised the lack of communication within the alliance and called for clarity. "There is no communication, no dialogue, no discussion. The situation is not well in the INDIA bloc, and people have doubts about it. If Congress believes the alliance was formed solely for the Lok Sabha elections and it is no longer needed, they should make a formal announcement," he added.
The INDIA bloc was initially formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a coalition of opposition parties aiming to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).