Fresh fault-lines are emerging within the INDIA bloc with almost every passing week since the latest drubbing in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the trend mostly working against dominant partner Congress.

Samajwadi Party president and MP Akhilesh Yadav on Monday expressed support for Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party, a fellow INDIA partner, ahead of the capital’s Assembly elections where the Congress too is in the fray.

This at a time when the Samajwadis and Trinamool have largely stayed away from the INDIA bloc’s Congress-led, Adani-focused protests in Parliament, and several allies have publicly plumped for Mamata Banerjee to lead the alliance.

Over the past few days, the latest blow to the Congress has come in the form of multiple INDIA parties questioning — even jeering at — those who oppose the electronic voting machines (EVMs) only when they lose elections.

If chief minister Omar Abdullah of the J&K National Conference did so in an interview with PTI, Trinamool second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee made his point in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

“This is my personal opinion that those who are raising questions on the EVMs should show a demo of its discrepancies to the EC (Election Commission),” Abhishek said.

The Congress had hinted at EVM manipulation in Haryana. In Maharashtra, the party alleged unfair practices in electoral registration and flagged the unusual late spikes in turnout figures.

“If someone works well during EVM randomisation and the booth workers check EVMs during mock polls or review the form 17C, which is used to check ballot units or control units, during counting of votes, I don’t think there is anything substantial in these allegations (of EVM manipulation),” Abhishek told the Lok Sabha.

“Even after that, if someone feels that the EVMs can be manipulated, a delegation of them should visit the EC and show a demo or evidence proving that there is some malware or technology to hack EVMs. If they are unable to do that (show evidence), a movement or andolan should be organised (by them) over the issue. Only making two-three statements regarding a matter does not mean anything.”

Omar had told PTI that one should not blame the EVMs only when one loses and that those who don’t trust these machines should not contest polls.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore has responded to Omar on X, saying: “It’s the Samajwadi Party, NCP, and Shiv Sena UBT that have spoken against EVMs. Please check your facts, CM @OmarAbdullah. The Congress CWC resolution clearly addresses the ECI only. Why this approach to our partners after being CM?”

Elected members of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra had deferred their oath-taking in the Assembly in protest against the alleged manipulation of the voting machines.

As for the calls to make Mamata the head of the Opposition alliance, perhaps the unkindest cut for the Congress came when Rashtriya Janata Dal patriarch Lalu Prasad, a staunch ally of Sonia Gandhi, aired the sentiment.

“We will support Mamata. The Congress’s objections will make no difference. Mamata should be given the leadership (of INDIA). Give it to Mamata,” Lalu told reporters in Patna a week ago.

The Samajwadis, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) too have thrown their weight behind the Bengal chief minister, with the Haryana and Maharashtra elections having dimmed the lustre that the Congress had gained from the better-than-expected Lok Sabha results.

Akhilesh voiced his backing of the AAP at an event to pay homage to the victim of the December 16, 2012, gang rape and murder in Delhi.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister told the crowd of women: “Your courage and struggle is known to me…. I am sure that Delhi’s mothers and sisters will work towards honouring the son of Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal) again.”

He added: “The SP stands with you with full responsibility. If you ever need help, we will stand with you…. (The) work that the AAP government has done, we feel… the AAP should get a chance to work here again.”

The AAP and the Congress, partners in INDIA, are contesting the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls separately.

A guiding principle of the INDIA bloc is to back the strongest candidates against the BJP-led dispensation. The AAP is better placed than the Congress to prevent the BJP from coming to power in Delhi, where the Congress has not won a single Assembly seat in a decade.