As a Union Territory, the upcoming Delhi Legislative Assembly elections should not generate more excitement than those held in two other Union Territories with legislative assemblies – Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry. However, the Delhi elections have the potential to become a turning point in contemporary Indian politics, especially for the Opposition.

Even before the Election Commission formally announced that the Delhi elections would be held on February 5, fissures within the Opposition camp had started becoming visible. The announcement of the poll schedule merely hastened a process that had already been set in motion by the likes of Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, the leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), respectively. AAP had already declared that post-Delhi polls, it would try to restructure the opposition alliance, leaving out the Congress party, India’s principal opposition party.

Just a few months ago, the two parties had been allies, contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together for the seven Delhi seats, with the AAP fielding candidates for four and the Congress contesting the remaining three. The alliance, however, failed spectacularly, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sweeping all seven Delhi Lok Sabha seats for the third time in a row.

Now, the Delhi assembly elections are witnessing a bitter battle between the two parties, with both sides indulging in name-calling and washing their dirty linen in public. As a result, the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) Bloc is on the verge of collapsing. The TMC and Uttar........

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