Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party -- isolated over its insistence on Congress support over the bureaucrats issue -- today took a step that is likely to expand the rift. Breaching the united opposition's resolve for individual parties to stop expansion in other states, AAP announced a list of 20 office bearers for Haryana -- where the Congress is the foremost opposition party -- in keeping with its goal of dominating northern states after the victories in Delhi and Punjab.
In the Opposition meet in Patna on June 23, sources said it was AAP which said parties should not go into expansion mode in the interest of larger opposition unity.
The idea had dovetailed with the Opposition's proposed strategy of one-on-one contests against the BJP, under which only one opposition candidate will contest against a BJP candidate, helping the consolidation of opposition votes.
The Patna meet, though, made headlines for reasons other than the strategies devised there.
AAP had been canvassing support among Opposition parties to counter the Centre's bill on taking control over the bureaucrats serving in Delhi. With the Congress shying away from a commitment, AAP dug in its heels at Patna.
The party said it would be "very difficult for AAP to be part of any alliance that includes Congress" till the main opposition party publicly denounces the Centre's executive order on the issue.
Since then, AAP has been giving mixed signals. This morning, it extended "in-principle" support to the Uniform Civil Code proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- which has been criticised by the Congress and others.
With two of its key members and former ministers -- Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain -- in jail on corruption charges, AAP has found itself in a tight corner over the last months, especially in view of a string of assembly elections lined up for the year-end.
AAP -- which has so far been expanding at the cost of the Congress -- has extensive plans to go all out in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The party is also hoping to make a foray into Telangana and Madhya Pradesh, where its footprint will also enhance its national party credentials.
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