India Alliance Faces Growing Threat of Breakup as Omar Abdullah’s Stance Shifts

The India alliance, led by Congress, may dissolve after the Delhi elections. Following its defeat in Maharashtra, the alliance’s condition has been deteriorating. In the upcoming Delhi elections, several constituent parties have distanced themselves from Congress. The situation became more strained after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah praised the Indian Government and the Election Commission for conducting fair elections last Monday. This is likely to cause a rift between the National Conference and Congress, especially since Congress has repeatedly blamed Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for its defeats in Haryana and Maharashtra, accusing the government of rigging the elections.

In contrast, Omar Abdullah thanked Prime Minister Modi and the Election Commission for ensuring fair elections, stating there was no rigging in the valley. He expressed his gratitude in front of Prime Minister Modi during the inauguration of the Srinagar Sonamarg tunnel. Meanwhile, Omar’s father, Farooq Abdullah, had already raised concerns about the India Alliance. After the Maharashtra defeat, the relationship between the constituent parties has continued to weaken, and Congress notably skipped alliance meetings after the Lok Sabha elections. Additionally, Congress did not provide tickets to its allies in Haryana.

There was tension in Maharashtra as well. In Delhi, all the major constituent parties isolated the Congress by supporting AAP instead of Congress. In Maharashtra, the oldest ally Sharad Pawar has also started speaking differently from the Congress. After the praise of the Sangh chief, it remains to be seen how long Pawar’s party will stay with the Congress. On the other hand, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena has also started speaking against the Congress. SP, TMC are already against it. RJD is eyeing the results of Delhi. Only then will it take a decision about Congress. The left parties will distance themselves due to Kerala. There are elections in Kerala next year. In any case, only DMK can stay with the Congress. The real future of the India Alliance will be decided after the Delhi elections.