India Bloc's Future in Balance as Results Expose Deep Fissures

With Bihar set to go to the polls later this year, it is difficult to see the context in which the opposition bloc will cooperate

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI: "The entire INDIA alliance landed in Delhi but while they stopped the Congress, they couldn't save Aapda," Modi said in Hindi to a cheering crowd that gathered at the BJP headquarters to celebrate victory, punning on the Hindi word for disaster, which he has been using through the election campaign while speaking about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Members of the INDIA bloc of opposition parties, such as the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress campaigned for AAP candidates in the run-up to the February 5 election. The Congress and the AAP, both members of the bloc decided to contest the Delhi election separately.

The result—the Congress won no seats, and the AAP saw its tally come down from 62 in the last election to 22, with the BJP winning 48 of the 70 seats in the house—has caused consternation in the INDIA bloc, especially because the Congress spoilt AAP's chances in 12 seats.