December 26, 2024: In a dramatic escalation of tensions within the INDIA bloc, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Congress, threatening to push for the party's removal from the alliance. The fallout follows a series of developments that have left the opposition coalition on shaky ground ahead of the crucial Delhi elections.

The AAP’s ire stems from a recent complaint filed by the Youth Congress against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The complaint accuses Kejriwal of "misleading and deceiving" the public with promises of welfare schemes—such as the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana—which government departments confirmed as "non-existent."

Adding fuel to the fire were remarks by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken, who blamed the Congress’s 2013 decision to support the AAP for his party’s decline in Delhi. Maken reportedly went further, allegedly labeling Kejriwal as "anti-national."

At a fiery press conference, AAP MP Sanjay Singh lashed out at Maken, demanding swift action from the Congress leadership. Flanked by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Singh accused the Congress of playing into the BJP’s hands.

"Congress's Ajay Maken is reading BJP's script," Singh declared. "If no action is taken against him within 24 hours, AAP will consult the INDIA bloc to remove Congress from the alliance."

Atishi echoed these allegations, going a step further by accusing the BJP of funding Congress candidates in Delhi. “The BJP is bearing the election expenditures of Congress candidates like Sandeep Dikshit. This shows there’s a tacit arrangement between Congress and BJP to defeat AAP,” she claimed.

The escalating war of words has left the INDIA bloc—a coalition of opposition parties formed to challenge the BJP in national and state elections—in disarray. The AAP, which has dominated Delhi politics since 2013, had previously announced plans to contest the Delhi elections independently, even as Congress leaders stepped up their attacks on the ruling party.

Maken stoked further controversy on Wednesday by calling for a reevaluation of Congress’s past alliances with AAP. "It was a mistake to align with AAP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This needs rectification," Maken asserted.

The latest developments underscore the deepening fissures within the INDIA bloc, raising questions about the alliance's ability to maintain unity in the face of upcoming electoral battles. The AAP’s ultimatum, paired with its accusations of BJP-Congress collusion, adds another layer of complexity to an already tense political landscape.

As the 24-hour deadline looms, all eyes are on Congress's next move and the potential ramifications for opposition unity in the run-up to the Delhi elections.