NEW DELHI: The Delhi Assembly elections are fast approaching on February 5, 2025. This election marks a crucial juncture for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been out of power in Delhi for more than 25 years. The party is eager to regain its dominance in a city where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has a stronghold. High stakes and controversies characterize the political scenario, mainly concerning the BJP’s strategy and AAP’s performance.
Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP are powerful contenders who have won 62 of the 70 seats in the last election held in 2020. Struggling hard to have an upward graph in this urban scenario, the BJP, which has been, for long, looking for some strong local challenger to Kejriwal, has faced challenges in projecting some leadership. Despite winning all seven Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general elections, this support is not easy to convert into assembly seats.
There have been recent allegations against the BJP about vote-buying strategies. AAP MP Sanjay Singh has accused BJP leaders of giving Rs 1,100 to voters, stating this was part of a larger plan to rig the election as it fears defeat once again. This allegation continues to point out issues with corruption and unethical behavior in the BJP.
In the meanwhile, the BJP is milking the comments by Kejriwal on “fake voters” from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This has already led to protests and backlash from Purvanchali communities, who are the significant voters of Delhi, comprising people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. By projecting Kejriwal’s statement as an insult to the pride of Purvanchalis, the BJP seeks to bring this crucial voter base against AAP. This tactic seeks to undermine the base of AAP while setting up BJP as a savior of the community’s dignity.
The elections will be a battle of narratives. For AAP, the retention of Purvanchali support is critical; historically, these voters have voted for AAP because of its governance record in education and healthcare. However, with Kejriwal’s comments now turned against him, AAP is forced into damage control mode. The party is talking about its achievements while trying to clarify that Kejriwal’s remarks were against electoral malpractices rather than targeting any community.
Conversely, the BJP’s strategy includes leveraging public dissatisfaction with AAP’s governance issues like: corruption scandals and service delivery failures are being highlighted as part of their campaign narrative3. The party has organized numerous outreach meetings and rallies to reinforce its presence across all 70 assembly constituencies.
In conclusion, although the BJP will be fighting a stiff battle against the well-established AAP, focusing on community narratives and local issues might provide the impetus for revival. It will be a fight of controversies versus public opinion, and it is public opinion that will eventually dictate Delhi’s future as the state heads into this crucial election cycle.
(Article Compiled by: Aryan Vij Student of Journalism (JCC), New Delhi.)
