Whether it will be a triangular fight or a direct contest with a single I.N.D.I.A candidate in each Lok Sabha seat in Delhi, the BJP is confident of maintaining its dominance over all seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital for the third consecutive time.
The party’s eagerness to maintain a 7-0 track record stems from its recent Assembly election victories and the discordant signals emerging from the rival I.N.D.I.A bloc on seat-sharing.
The AAP and the Congress are still determining the seats on which they will fight against the BJP, meaning that only one opposition candidate will face each BJP candidate. However, the buzz is that the AAP wants the Congress to fight on only two seats, while the Congress is keen on contesting at least three. If the seat-sharing talks fail, the two may be forced to go it alone on all seven seats.
BJP national vice president and Delhi unit in charge Baijayant Panda said that the BJP’s win in the recent assembly elections in Hindi heartland states has created a positive atmosphere for the party, and there should be no doubts about the results of the Lok Sabha elections.
“We are winning all seven seats in Delhi, but we will have to make efforts to increase the victory margin, for which we will have to contact the beneficiaries of the Central government schemes and talk to them,” said Panda.
A source inside the I.N.D.I.A bloc said, “The contrast seen between the alliances in the recent elections raises many questions about whether it will continue till the Lok Sabha election or not.”
Psephologist Sanjay Kumar said that there is constant friction within the opposition alliance, and the people who make decisions for the I.N.D.I.A bloc have to take control of the alliance. Kumar also added, “If they are agreeing upon it, then there should be further concrete steps. If there is a cricket team and there is no captain, who will give direction to the team?”
Countering speculation that the AAP was considering exiting the bloc, Raghav Chadha, Rajya Sabha MP from the AAP has said, “We came together under a single roof while keeping aside our personal issues and agendas just to work for the benefit of the people.” He has said that soon seat sharing talks will take place.