NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi is in crisis as its top leadership is in jail over corruption charges. This crisis can benefit the opposition Bhartiya Janta Party and Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elections scheduled in the early months of 2025.
AAP, which has enjoyed unwavering support from the voters in Delhi, finds itself on the back foot due to the absence of Arvind Kejriwal. Although he was out on bail during the recently concluded Lok Sabha election campaigns, AAP failed to cash in on any opportunity despite its alliance with the Congress party. Now, both parties have parted ways for the Assembly elections, and Congress is targeting the ruling government for its failure to fulfill its poll promises. Recently, Devender Yadav, Delhi Congress president, targeted the government over the hike in power purchase agreement charges. He asserted that the Kejriwal government has been putting a heavy financial burden on the electricity consumers in the capital by allowing the Distribution Companies (DISCOM) to hike the Power Purchase Agreement Charge (PPAC) by 8/9%, and in the process, the Delhi government has been quietly looting the people. He further added that the Kejriwal government, which promised to provide “free” electricity and water, has only betrayed the people, as they got neither potable water nor free power.
Both, AAP and Congress are believed to remain alliance partners in the I.N.D.IA. alliance, but at the state level, both will contest alone. Congress, which failed to secure any seats in the Delhi Assembly elections of 2015 and 2020, is now aiming for a comeback in the national capital. They see an opportunity due to the troubles faced by AAP, whose leadership is embroiled in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been in prison for several months due to the case, and his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since last year.
The decline of Congress paved the way for the rise of AAP in Delhi, as the grand old party’s voter base shifted to AAP rapidly after losing power in 2013. As a strategic move for the upcoming Assembly elections, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) is planning to hold protests against the AAP government in the coming days.
On the other hand, despite holding a strong majority at the Centre, BJP has not managed to form a government in Delhi for over 25 years. In the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, AAP secured 62 out of 70 seats, while BJP won only 8. Congress did not win any seats.
Strategies are reportedly being developed to counter both the AAP and Congress in the upcoming elections. Though the I.N.D.I.A. bloc partners have decided to contest separately, experts suggest that this could benefit the BJP by splitting votes between AAP and Congress. BJP leaders, however, assert that their “vote bank” remains solid and anticipate securing a majority this time.
A BJP leader expressed confidence in winning the seats in Delhi with a significant majority, citing dissatisfaction of the people with the Kejriwal government. Party leaders also mentioned that five of the seven former MPs are actively working to bolster BJP’s position.
“Gautam Gambhir has stepped away from active politics, and Hans Raj Hans is now in Punjab. The remaining five are actively participating in party meetings,” stated another party leader, emphasising that there is no internal discord.