Delhi: BJP to announce names soon; attack AAP on corruption and freebies | Latest News Delhi
The central election committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president JP Nadda, is expected to meet soon to finalise candidates for all 70 seats in Delhi and negotiate seat-sharing arrangements with allies for the upcoming assembly elections, according to a senior party functionary.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has already announced all its candidates, while the Congress has released a list of 21 nominees for the elections, the schedule for which is yet to be announced.
The BJP functionary cited above said that the party has opted to not name a chief ministerial face ahead of the polls, and is gathering cadre feedback to finalise its candidates. The leader added the BJP may also allocate seats to its allies – the Janata Dal United (JDU) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).
Both alliance partners have shown interest in contesting the polls and have sought five seats each, according to a second functionary aware of the details.
“There is a sizeable population, about 3-4 million that traces its roots to Bihar and both the JDU and the LJP are keen to contest with an eye on the demographic, which is spread over the state, from the old city to the north-east, west and the north-west. The substantial Purvanchali vote base (together with people from Uttar Pradesh) is wooed by all political parties,” the second person cited above said.
In the 2020 elections, JDU and LJP contested three seats combined but failed to secure victories. However, BJP insiders suggest the allies may get more seats this time, given the party’s efforts to strengthen ties with coalition partners.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP, which fell short of the majority mark of 272 seats, formed government at the Centre for the third time by relying on allies including the JDU with 12 MPs and the LJP with five.
The BJP is also sharpening its election campaign, which will pivot on highlighting the AAP’s “corruption and governance deficiencies” and its “freebies” policy, which the BJP argues has burdened state finances.
Citing the CAG’s 2022 report, BJP leaders claim that Delhi’s debt grew by 6.9% from 2015 to 2020, while subsidy spending surged over 90%.
The BJP believes the anti-incumbency with AAP’s two-term rule has been compounded by controversies such as the alleged extravagance of the chief minister’s residence and created an opportunity.
“There is widespread dissatisfaction with the AAP’s governance style and extreme anger over corruption, which is exemplified by the Sheesh Mahal (the CM’s official residence that stroked a controversy for being extravagant). The mood on the ground is in favour of the BJP and we are confident of increasing our vote share and converting it into seats,” the first functionary quoted above said.
Despite winning only three and eight seats in the 2015 and 2020 polls, the BJP points to its strong rise in vote share — from 32.3% in 2015 to 38.51% in 2020 — as evidence of its strong base.
On how the party is rearing to counter the subsidies that are being promised by its opponents, the first functionary said, “There is a huge difference between freebies that the AAP is giving and promising and the welfare measures of the BJP. Take for instance the AAP’s free bus ride scheme in Delhi, it is a freebie, meant for all sections; the BJP on the other hand gives aid to women who meet a certain criterion.”
