Delhi Congress faces internal struggles, while AAP grapples with challenges, ahead of Delhi Assembly polls.
New Delhi: Ahead of the Assembly elections in Delhi, the Congress party appears to lack enthusiasm, with its rank and file believing that even a gain in vote share may not translate into seat victories. The party had pocketed around 4% votes in the 2020 Assembly elections. The national capital has a total of 70 Assembly seats.
A senior Congress leader said, “The party thinks that it can be competitive in around eight Muslim-majority seats and then make inroads into AAP’s voter base on other seats. But as of now, the party does not seem to be ramping up its efforts. The momentum within the party remains unchanged. The Muslim voters may lean towards Congress, but if BJP intensifies the election campaign, Muslims will become strategic voters, and would want to protect themselves from BJP rule by leaning towards the AAP.”
During ticket distribution as well, when several leaders flock to the AICC to seek tickets, The Sunday Guardian found out that the leaders in Delhi seemed less hopeful of Congress making gains in the national capital. There were only few people from the Delhi cadre attending the screening committee meetings at AICC to seek tickets, compared to the turnout during ticket screenings for other state elections.
Although Delhi Congress leaders have been actively engaging with their candidates to discuss election strategies and provide logistical support, these meetings aim to equip candidates with necessary resources and information for their constituencies.
However, a senior Congress leader said, “There is a lack of coordination among the leaders. The party is not prepared at the grassroots level. Therefore, decisions made at the top may not effectively reach the ground. On the other hand, AAP is strong in terms of organisation.”
However other leaders claim that the AAP, which has governed Delhi since 2015, is facing challenges due to recent setbacks and leadership crises. The party is contending with anti-incumbency sentiments and unfinished promises, which could impact its performance in the upcoming elections and benefit the BJP.
A political analyst said, “If AAP loses votes, they could go either to Congress or the BJP. But whether the BJP would be able to translate these votes into seats is very difficult to predict.
What is certain is that it won’t be a cakewalk for AAP. They may appear to be clear winners now, but things might change, as BJP is formulating different strategies to corner Kejriwal.”
In addition, the BJP is ramping up its efforts to regain power in Delhi. The party’s state election committee has shortlisted around 230 candidates for the 70 Assembly seats, indicating a strategic approach to candidate selection. Notable contenders include Harsh Vardhan, Meenakshi Lekhi, and Parvesh Verma.