As Delhi sealed its verdict on May 12 in the sixth round of the General Election, one can only loosely conjecture which way the national capital has swung this time. Whether Delhi will repeat 2014’s mandate that gave the BJP all seven LS seats is what the nation wants to know. Numerically, these seven seats are roughly 1% of the total seats being contested from other states. Despite that, even a loss of single a seat can affect the magic number which has to be proved by the single largest party on its own or with its allies on the floor of the house post results on May 23.
With seven seats logging a slightly lower turnout than that of 2014 in the triangular contest between BJP, AAP and Congress, apprehensions have crept in the state’s incumbent MPs of the ruling and ousted parties.
The AAP, which was born following an anti-graft campaign led by Anna Hazare, emerged as the second-largest party in 2013 Assembly elections, and eventually, in 2015 in fresh Assembly elections, it received a landslide victory bagging 68 out of 70 Assembly seats. This 2019 General Election in fact is a litmus test for the ruling AAP in the state. The voters of Delhi apparently aren’t so bothered about the full statehood issue as electorates call this demand bizarre.
The Mohalla clinic has been hailed as a fantastic idea as far as availablity of free and affordable primary healthcare centres are concerned. In terms of free water and electricity promises, the AAP has won hearts among those living in the periphery of Delhi, in illegal colonies. In fact, AAP has a tremendous support base in the unorganised sector – the underbelly of Delhi. They seem to be all smiles with the availability of free water and subsidised electricity even though concerns related to unemployment and civic amenities continue to haunt them. The traffic and air pollution in Delhi have been perennial issues for decades. The rich and educated class feel that the AAP like its predecessor hasn’t done much to control it.
Conversely, the BJP which received a landslide victory in Municipal elections in 2017 after a setback in 2015 Assembly elections is banking on the Modi factor, who is now hailed as a decisive and strong leader as far as national security is concerned. This fact has caught up well with the well-to-do class in Delhi, particularly after the Balakot air strike. Now, the businessmen and traders in Delhi, BJP’s traditional vote banks, who were upset after the GST implementation, consider Modi as the man of action and personality of development.
The Congress, which wants to revive its lost mandate in the state, has put an all-out effort to remind Delhites about the era of development under the Chief-Ministership of Sheila Dixit that changed the face of Delhi. Moreover, with AAP and Congress failing to stitch a pre-poll alliance, BJP’s vote share is perhaps intact. Whatever might be the case, Delhites have been real assessors and thus have always voted on issues and for parties that have fulfilled their promises. If they could vote out the performing Sheila Dixit-led congress government and give a fledgeling party like AAP a chance based on the poll plank it presented, they have surely assessed it right this time again. Delhi couldn’t be West Bengal ever, need I mention?