With few days remaining for the Delhi assembly polls both BJP and AAP are involved in a tough contest. AAP which had failed to perform well in the Lok Sabha election is giving stiff competition to the BJP. On the other hand, BJP is keenly observing the AAP’s poll strategy and has been asking five questions to it on a daily basis through media. The saffron party has been aggressively campaigning in Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah holding rallies in Delhi.
The city unit of BJP leaders are campaigning in Delhi ahead of assembly election to counter AAP. The party has taken this decision as AAP has a strong foothold in Delhi. Many AAP party workers from Mumbai already have left for Delhi for the campaigning work. The elections for 70-member Delhi Assembly will take place on February 7 while the results will be announced on February 10.
Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said, “Yes, we are all in Delhi for the election campaign. There is nothing unusual as party members are often called during election campaigns.”
However, a senior central office bearer revealed, “The decision to draw members from Mumbai was taken after we noticed the large presence of AAP activists representing the city. It came to our notice that all the AAP members who were based in Mumbai had parked themselves in the capital for an aggressive campaign.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed a rally in Dwarka while Amit Shah addressed a rally in Jahangirpuri. Even Smriti Irani and Arun Jaitley are aggressively campaigning for the Delhi polls.
AAP has replaced Congress as the main contender against the BJP, and is posing a major challenge to the saffron party. Therefore the BJP has been rethinking about its strategy to counter AAP.
The key factor fuelling AAP’s popularity is the support it is getting from the city’s vast ‘underclass’ – industrial workers, unorganized sector labourers, petty shopkeepers and traders, office and shop employees, service providers of all hues and shades.
AAP leader Anjali Damania said BJP is feeling insecure due to AAP’s presence in Delhi. She said, “They have all the money in the world, but we have got many members here and that’s our strength. BJP is scared. They are campaigning everywhere as Modi wave is dwindling. They even invited Obama. I mean this is really crazy. I am amused by their tactics and I feel BJP is probably getting the jitters.”
Initially, the BJP was not keen on getting outsiders for the Delhi Assembly poll campaign. The original plan was to focus the campaign with the help of city unit and workers from neighbouring states.
