In a major political shift, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has officially announced its decision to contest all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections independently, shutting the door on any potential alliances — including with the Congress party.

Speaking to news agency, Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “The party has decided that it will contest elections on all seats in Bihar.” The announcement signals a clear departure from earlier coalition efforts and underlines AAP’s intent to expand its national footprint on its own terms.

When asked about the possibility of an alliance with Congress, Bhardwaj pointed to what he called a breach of political trust during the recent Gujarat by-elections. “The by-election to five seats in Gujarat earlier was definite. Congress had four seats, and we had one in our corner. We had an understanding with Congress that we would contest on seats where our candidates have already won, respectively. We didn’t contest in the bypolls to four seats. However, Congress fielded a candidate against us during the by-election for the fifth seat. This was not in accordance with the spirit of allyship,” he explained.

This development adds a new twist to Bihar’s pre-election atmosphere, which is already heating up with declarations and strategies from major players in the state. AAP’s decision to go solo will likely impact voter dynamics and alliance equations.

Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha reiterated the ruling NDA’s stronghold in the state, stating that the upcoming election will reaffirm the people's support for development. “Our leadership and alliance are strong, and there is no confusion anywhere. NDA is the wish of the people of Bihar, and it is a symbol of development. This is an opportunity to get rid of those people who ruined Bihar,” Sinha told ANI, in a veiled attack on the opposition.

Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has also declared his party's full commitment to the NDA alliance in Bihar. At a rally in Arrah, Paswan said his party would back the NDA across all 243 seats. His public show of support reinforces the narrative of unity within the NDA camp.