It’s advantage AAP in Delhi, as infighting hurts both BJP, Congress

New Delhi :Disorientation within the Congress’ Delhi unit and continuous infighting within the Bharatiya Janata Party unit in the national capital may have enhanced the prospects of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) coming back to power. Delhi goes to the polls early next year.

The Congress, which had improved its performance in Delhi in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections by increasing its vote share to 24.55% from 9.65% in 2015, is once again in the middle of a storm. It does not have a state president, lacks direction and its internal divide is deepening.

According to sources, the three working presidents of Delhi Congress—Haroon Yusuf, Rajesh Lilothia and Devender Yadav—literally had a fight over flag hoisting in the Delhi Congress’ office on Independence Day. All three wanted to hoist the flag to establish their dominance over the Congress unit in Delhi.

Sources in the Congress also said that the absence of a state president made the party lose its direction and it was nowhere near preparing for the Delhi Assembly polls likely to be held in January 2020. All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Delhi, P.C. Chacko has requested the party high command to relieve him of his charge as he wants to focus on Kerala, his home state.

The post of the Delhi Congress president fell vacant after the death of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit in July.

Meanwhile in the BJP’s Delhi unit, a long-drawn-out infighting is hurting the prospects of the party. This has led to the creation of two power centres—one headed by BJP’s Delhi president Manoj Tiwari, and the other headed by senior Delhi BJP leader and former Union Minister Vijay Goel. This has left the party cadre in a state of confusion as to whose directions they should follow.

The Vijay Goel faction is complaining about how the Delhi unit’s social media team is highlighting only Manoj Tiwari’s work.

A BJP leader and Vijay Goel supporter told this newspaper, “The social media pages of the Delhi BJP seem more like the personal pages of Manoj Tiwari. They only focus on him and his work, while all other Delhi leaders are ignored. Vijay Goel has been doing some phenomenal work, but Tiwari is blocking that information from coming out. Goel has been in Delhi politics since his university days and knows the city well. Vijay Goel belongs to the Baniya community and has influence on the same.”

However, a supporter of Manoj Tiwari and a senior BJP leader from Delhi vouched for Tiwari’s influence among Purvanchali voters: “It is because of Tiwari that we got a large chunk of Purvanchali voters both in the municipal polls and the Lok Sabha elections. Delhi’s demography has changed. There are some 22 seats out of 70 where Purvanchalis decide the winning candidate.”

Not only this, according to party insiders, a conflict is brewing over the post of the chief ministerial candidate. While Tiwari has been positioning himself as the CM candidate, both Vijay Goel and Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, are eyeing the same post.

With the Opposition in disarray, the AAP says it is confident of winning a second stint in Delhi. The party is doling out a series of freebies, which, it hopes will get it votes. The AAP believes that these, along with the “good work” in the field of education and health, will help it win Delhi.

A senior AAP leader told this newspaper, “We are confident of the work we have done in Delhi. Our healthcare an education systems are a model for other states. The rebates in electricity and water bills that we have given will help the party’s prospects in the Assembly elections. Moreover, with the dismal condition of the Opposition in Delhi, the AAP will sail to victory.”