With the Delhi Assembly elections set for this week, all three major political parties in the capital have intensified their efforts to clinch power. While the ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) is fighting to maintain its hold on Delhi, the Congress is trying to reclaim the chair it had held until 2013.
At the same time, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) which gained a sweeping victory in Lok Sabha elections, is keen to paint the national capital saffron and break its 27-year streak of defeats.
The last time Delhi had a BJP government was in 1998 with Sahib Singh Verma as the CHief Minister. Verma held the office for two years and was later replaced by former EAM Sushma Swaraj.
Despite sweeping the national polls, the party has faced repeated setbacks in the Delhi polls, suggesting a disconnect between national appeal and its local challenges in the capital.
So, who will Delhi vote for this time? Will APP gain a third term, or will BJP break its jinx?
In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP라이브 바카라 victories were largely driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi라이브 바카라 charisma and the party라이브 바카라 ability to tap into widespread discontent with the previous government.
However, the narrative changes when it comes to Delhi Assembly elections. Despite its dominance on the national stage, the BJP has struggled to translate that success into local wins in Delhi.
The AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal, has emerged as the main challenger, building a reputation for focusing on local governance and addressing the city라이브 바카라 immediate concerns. AAP라이브 바카라 emphasis on improving public services has ensured a loyal base in the capital, where voters feel connected to the party라이브 바카라 governance.
Local Appeal vs National Rhetoric
BJP is hopeful to break the jinx, banking on incumbency sentiments and PM Modi's welfare schemes. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered on the welfare schemes or the developmental projects in Delhi, be it flats for slum dwellers or free ration for poor. On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal and his party have saved only themselves. They have indulged in corruption and extravagance,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva was quoted as saying by the Frontline.
However AAP라이브 바카라 ability to focus on the “real issues” affecting Delhiites has in the past given it a crucial edge over the BJP in state elections. The BJP라이브 바카라 national agenda, centered around security and nationalism, often seems distant to Delhi라이브 바카라 voters, who are more concerned with local matters such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
AAP라이브 바카라 consistent focus on these areas, with tangible improvements in schools, electricity and healthcare services, has solidified its position as a party of governance in Delhi.
The BJP라이브 바카라 challenge in Delhi can also be attributed to its persistent focus on national issues like the CAA and Article 370. These issues, while crucial on the national stage, have not found as much traction in Delhi, where voters are more concerned with issues directly affecting their daily lives.
Delhi라이브 바카라 cosmopolitan electorate, which includes a significant number of minority communities, does not always resonate with the BJP라이브 바카라 nationalistic narrative, particularly when compared to AAP라이브 바카라 focus on inclusive governance.
Lack of Local Leadership Face
The BJP has also struggled with a lack of local leadership in Delhi. While Modi라이브 바카라 national stature has certainly helped the BJP라이브 바카라 cause in the capital, the party has failed to find a local leader who can match Kejriwal라이브 바카라 popularity.
The AAP has specifically attacked this aspect of the BJP through memes and processions. The ruling party shared a video and poster of a wedding horse without the groom asking ‘Dulha kaun hai?’
They also took out a wedding procession without any groom to mock the saffron party라이브 바카라 lack of a CM face for the upcoming election.
This absence of a charismatic local figure has further undermined the BJP라이브 바카라 efforts to appeal to Delhi라이브 바카라 voters, who are looking for practical solutions to everyday problems rather than broad national ideologies.
``BJP is like a ‘baaraat’ (wedding procession) without a groom and it must tell the people of Delhi who its ‘groom’ is. We have already declared Arvind Kejriwal as our CM face, and the BJP should do the same so that Delhi라이브 바카라 citizens can compare and decide who is better suited. Over the past 10 years, Arvind Kejriwal has earned a special place among the people of Delhi and the country through his politics of work. A majority of Delhi라이브 바카라 residents consider him the best chief minister,” AAP MP Sanjay Singh was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Moreover, the BJP라이브 바카라 internal dynamics have also contributed to its struggles in the Delhi Assembly elections. Infighting and factionalism within the party in Delhi have weakened its position.
The BJP has maintained a resilient vote share in the past elections. The problem, however, is converting the vote into seats.
In 2015, the saffron party won three seats, but its vote share was 32 percent. In 2020, it went higher to 38.51%, but the seats won were still at a low of eight. Whereas, the Aam Aadmi Party's vote share remained high with 54.3% percent in 2015 and 53.57% in the 2020 elections.
The only silver lining was the 2024 Lok Sabha results, where the party secured all seven seats in Delhi.
So, what needs to be seen is whether APP's schemes like free electricity, water, and bus rides will see them through or whether the BJP's national appeal will work in Delhi this time. While the BJP remains strong nationally, Delhi라이브 바카라 local elections are a different ball game.
