X Post And SMS: Why Rahul Gandhi And Congress Decided To Go All Out Against AAP In Delhi Dust-Up

Last Updated:January 29, 2025, 16:49 IST

Rahul Gandhi raising the 'Sheesh Mahal' issue and calling Manish Sisodia 'the kingpin of the liquor scam' shows that the Raebareli MP himself has decided to press the accelerator on attacking AAP

AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. File image/PTI

A social media post and an SMS clinched it. The Congress, in the last week ahead of the Delhi polls, decided to hit back hard at the Aam Aadmi Party. Rahul Gandhi raising the “Sheesh Mahal" issue and calling Manish Sisodia “the kingpin of the liquor scam" shows that the Raebareli MP himself has decided to press the accelerator on attacking AAP.

But convincing Rahul Gandhi was not easy. How was it done?

It was mother Sonia Gandhi who is considered to be the architect of the consensual and accommodating politics of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). She believed that the larger fight was to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2004, and so it was important to forgive and forget. It wasn’t easy to work along with the DMK, for instance, whom she had at one point blamed for not speeding up the investigation into her husband’s assassination.

Cut to 2024, it was this belief that defeating Narendra Modi was more important, which made the Congress ally with the TMC and AAP in the Lok Sabha polls, despite being sworn enemies. But many in the Congress managed to convince Rahul Gandhi that, for Delhi too, it should either seek an alliance with AAP or go soft on it. When it became clear that AAP was rejecting any alliance with the Congress, the party and Rahul Gandhi decided not to attack Delhi’s ruling outfit. At his first election rally in Seelampur, Rahul Gandhi’s attack on AAP was subdued. Just after this was the Belagavi rally of the Congress, where many raised this point. They also showed him a post on social media site X from Arvind Kejriwal, where, just after Rahul’s rally, he had accused the Congress of fighting against the welfare of the nation.

Sources say that again some prevailed upon Rahul Gandhi not to attack AAP. But then came an SMS from a party candidate. He asked, “Sir, why should I fight the corrupt AAP if we are not fighting them?"

This convinced Rahul Gandhi that the time had come. Hence the attack on “Sheesh Mahal" and Congress releasing a series of ads to call AAP “corrupt".

With AAP and Kejriwal hitting the Congress where it hurts the most—raising the Herald issue and asking why Robert Vadra was still out of jail—sources say Rahul’s mind is made up. Go for the kill and don’t spare AAP.

News elections X Post And SMS: Why Rahul Gandhi And Congress Decided To Go All Out Against AAP In Delhi Dust-Up