Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and his party MPs will campaign for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates before the Delhi Assembly elections on February 5. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP confirmed this on Tuesday.

Yadav to Join Kejriwal in Roadshow

Akhilesh Yadav will participate in a roadshow with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in Rithala on January 30. Several SP leaders, including Kairana MP Iqra Hasan, will also join the campaign. Their presence will strengthen AAP’s voter outreach.

SP Backs AAP, Congress Left Out

Both AAP and SP are part of the INDIA bloc, an opposition alliance that includes Congress. However, SP leaders will campaign only for AAP. This move further distances Congress within the coalition.

Growing Divide in Opposition Alliance

This decision highlights Congress’s increasing isolation in the INDIA bloc. The alliance, formed to counter BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, now faces internal divisions. Last year, AAP and Congress worked together in Delhi’s Lok Sabha elections, sharing seven seats. Despite that, they now compete against each other in the Assembly polls. Tensions in the opposition alliance surfaced last year when some parties backed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to lead the INDIA bloc. This challenged Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s leadership. Although Kejriwal did not openly support Banerjee, he suggested that alliance leaders should discuss and decide the matter together. His statement reflected the uncertainty within the opposition.

TMC’s Shatrughan Sinha to Support AAP

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and Bollywood veteran Shatrughan Sinha will also campaign for AAP. He will speak at election rallies in at least three Delhi constituencies on February 1 and 2. With key opposition figures backing AAP, the upcoming elections will see an intense battle between AAP, BJP, and Congress.