'Aur lado...': Abdullah's dig at AAP-Congress as BJP surges ahead
What's the story
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took a jibe at the opposition as early trends in the Delhi Assembly elections showed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress trailing behind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Abdullah, an ally of the INDIA bloc and vice president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, shared a meme on social media with a GIF captioned, "Aur lado aapas mein" (Keep up the infighting).
Twitter Post
Check out the meme here
Aur lado aapas mein!!! https://t.co/f3wbM1DYxk pic.twitter.com/8Yu9WK4k0c
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 8, 2025
Internal strife
Abdullah highlights discord within INDIA bloc
The meme shared by Abdullah highlights the rift between AAP and Congress, both part of the INDIA bloc. The Delhi elections witnessed the two parties fighting separately despite their alliance for the Lok Sabha elections. The separation resulted in fierce competition, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacking AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal over corruption charges. Meanwhile, AAP leaders blamed Congress for being "irrelevant" in Delhi and colluding with BJP.
Election update
BJP leads in Delhi assembly elections
As the BJP led in almost 42 of Delhi's 70 Assembly seats, Abdullah's old social media post surfaced. He had said, "aur lado, jee bhar ke lado, samapt kar do ek dusre ko" (fight some more, fight to your heart's content, finish each other off). The votes are still being counted across 19 centers. The results will decide if Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP gets a fourth consecutive term or if the BJP will form a government after 27 years.
Alliance worries
Abdullah expresses concerns over INDIA alliance's future
Notably, Abdullah has earlier expressed apprehensions over the INDIA alliance's ambiguity over leadership and agenda. He proposed that if the coalition was merely for the general elections, it should be disbanded. He stressed that unity among allies such as AAP and Congress is essential to take on BJP in the future.