Explained | Congress vs AAP: Why Kharge, Rahul are hitting out at Kejriwal

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi have turned their fire on Arvind Kejriwal, an unusual step for leaders who had so far kept silent on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

With seven states going to Assembly polls in 2027, and AAP in the contest in three of them, the attacks raise a larger question: Is AAP now Congress’s biggest political rival after the BJP? Here are some key questions answered.

What has changed in Congress’s approach?

Until now, Kharge and Rahul had stayed silent on AAP, and second-rung leaders responded to Kejriwal’s jibes. That changed in Sangrur, Punjab, on Wednesday (November 4), when both leaders launched Congress’s campaign for the Assembly elections and attacked Kejriwal directly.

Also read: Punjab elections 2027: AAP announces first list of 40 candidates, fields Mann from Dhuri

What did Kharge and Rahul say in Sangrur?

Kharge called the Punjab government one of the most corrupt in his six decades in politics. He alleged that extortion money goes to Delhi and that AAP has its man in every ministry. He also said AAP turns up wherever Congress is winning, as in Gujarat and Goa, and thereby helps the BJP. Rahul alleged that Punjab is being run from Delhi and that the state’s money is being sent there.

Why did Congress choose Punjab to launch the attack?

Punjab is among the seven states going to the polls next year, and the contest there is direct. In 2022, AAP won 92 of 117 seats, while Congress got only 18. AAP ousted Congress from power and dented its old base. Congress now sees a chance to return, while AAP must answer for its record on drugs, law and order, corruption, gangsterism and jobs.

Also read: Crowd optics overshadow INDIA bloc's protest against SIR

What message is Congress sending?

Two at once. To Punjab’s voters, that the AAP government has failed. To its own workers, that the party will now fight AAP with full force. Any softness could send the wrong signal to them.

Is AAP really to blame for Congress’s losses in Gujarat?

Congress argues that AAP cut into its traditional votes. In 2022, the BJP won 156 of 182 seats, Congress 17 and AAP five, with vote shares of about 27.3 per cent for Congress and 12.9 per cent for AAP. Political pundits say AAP dented Congress’s vote bank, especially where the two competed for anti-BJP votes. But Congress won 77 seats in 2017 and fell to 17 in 2022. So organisational weakness, leadership problems and the BJP’s strong network might have mattered, too. It was a big BJP win, not just a vote split.

And what about Goa?

In 2022, Congress won 11 seats, AAP two, and the BJP 20. Congress says AAP split anti-BJP votes. But eight Congress MLAs joined the BJP after that election, and 10 had done so in 2019, which hurt its credibility.

Also read: Punjab polls: Rahul recasts Congress battle around drugs, crime and Delhi control

Why has Opposition unity failed in Goa?

Kharge spoke of everyone fighting together during his August 2026 visit. By September, AAP was preparing to announce the Goa First Alliance with the Goa Forward Party, without the Congress. AAP and Goa Forward leaders accused Congress of stalling talks. Congress believes it is the main opposition and should lead. It also fears that giving AAP ground could repeat the Delhi story.

What is Congress’s dilemma?

If it allies with AAP in Goa, what will it tell its workers in Punjab, where the two are trying to defeat each other? This remains its biggest dilemma.

How has the relationship fared so far?

AAP was part of the INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha polls, and Congress defended Kejriwal when he was jailed over the liquor scam allegations. Sonia Gandhi even sat with his wife at Ramlila Maidan. But the parties contested the Delhi Assembly elections separately, and AAP lost its 11-year-old government there, for which it blames Congress. AAP accused Congress of helping the BJP and formally announced its exit from the bloc in July 2025.

Also read: Big jolt to AAP as 3 Punjab MLAs join BJP ahead of 2027 Assembly elections

Why does AAP matter to Congress?

Congress sees itself as the Opposition’s biggest national face, with Rahul Gandhi as Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. AAP may be smaller nationally, but it has ousted Congress in Delhi and Punjab and has a presence in Gujarat, Goa and Haryana. It is trying to carve out a space in what the Congress considers its traditional bastion.

What does Congress want from 2027?

Three things: To remove AAP from power in Punjab by targeting both Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, to rebuild its ground in Gujarat and Goa, and to limit the standing of parties that challenge its leadership. The 2027 polls will also decide how Congress handles the AAP challenge.