Congress leaders from Punjab have strongly criticized AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal following his arrest. This development highlights the complex relationship between these two political parties, as Congress supports AAP in its hour of crisis while the local unit enjoys the discomfiture of Kejriwal’s outfit. Despite collaborating for LS elections, Congress and AAP have become rivals in Punjab, where AAP currently holds power. The AICC Kisan Congress chief, Sukhpal Khaira, accused AAP of inflicting false criminal cases against opponents in Punjab and criticized their claim of being ‘Kattar Imandar’. He emphasized that AAP has committed a similar liquor scam in Punjab. Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu raised concerns about corruption within AAP, claiming that the corruption case in Delhi is just the tip of the iceberg. He stated that Punjab’s looted money by runaway Raghav Chadha has yet to be recovered. Bittu also urged Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to add Kejriwal’s name to the list of 300 arrested persons displayed on public hoardings. The arrest of Kejriwal has divided opinion within the Congress party, with some condemning it as BJP’s vendetta politics and others remaining silent to avoid contradicting AICC’s stance. Despite the rivalry between Congress and AAP in Punjab, local Congress leaders are hopeful that these recent allegations and the arrest of Kejriwal will impact the governing party’s reputation among the people. In the 2022 state elections, AAP defeated Congress and poses a threat in the upcoming LS polls. Although most Congress MPs in Punjab favored an alliance with AAP, the AICC leadership decided on a seat-sharing formula with Kejriwal in Delhi and other states but excluded Punjab. Their decision was influenced by the belief that Congress had a stronger national presence and that AAP’s novelty had faded after two years in power. Additionally, the collaboration between Congress and AAP could create an opportunity for a third party in the opposition space against BJP.