New Delhi
Voting will take place in New Delhi on May 25th. If there is anything that's unbound – released plentiful - in the national capital is chaos, political confusion, allegations, counter allegations and arrest along with court drama.
Maybe Delhi will make a record of sort in 2024 when it goes on to elect its seven Members of Parliament for the new Lok Sabha.
But amid such high drama, people's daily lives are going. People joke about the Neta class in general but most people shy away taking names or showing sympathy or liking towards one camp or the other.
Abhay Lal is a voter in Delhi for the last 24 years. "I have seen several elections. But never the drama would touch this level. You have the Chief Minister arrested and he comes out on a conditional bail; then a woman Rajya Sabha member is assaulted and the Chief Minister's close aide is arrested. Masala thoda zyda ho gaya (There is so much spice this time)," he says.
Asked to pronounce about his choice of a lawmaker for his Chandni Chowk constituency, Lal says, "I will not tell you...This is not the time to share all these so openly". He even declined to disclose whom he voted for in the 2020 assembly polls or 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Several others take his line. But a group of shopkeepers in the constituency say, for parliamentary polls, BJP has the right man with a “good image” in Narendra Modi.
However, a group of Muslims in the constituency say, "The Congress-AAP alliance has been a good decision and the BJP may get shock treatment in many segments".
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| Eenadu newspaper article on Delhi poll scene |
The mandate in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and 2015 and 2020 assembly polls easily prove that people in Delhi are/were more concerned about free electricity and free water and saw all that coming under Arvind Kejriwal. But when it came to national issues, development and national security vis-a-vis Pakistan and terror elements; they seem to believe that PM Narendra Modi will protect both their Hindu and nationalist interests.
Politics and politicians often offer split personalities. But Delhi voters seem to introduce a new theory of split personalities in the electorate itself.
Take a closer look at the 2020 Delhi assembly elections. It was a shocker as only nine months back, PM Modi was BJP's mascot and only vote-getter in the national capital. The party had won nearly 57 percent votes in Delhi in the 2019 parliamentary polls. The BJP had won all seven seats in 2019 and they had done so in 2014 as well.
But in 2015 and 2020 assembly polls, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP came out with flying colours.
In August 2019, AAP leader Kejriwal was among the first to back the abrogation of Article 370. The AAP too has not been totally against a modest tilt towards a soft Hindutva agenda. Arvind Kejriwal avoided visiting Shaheen Bagh when Muslim women protested against the CAA. The BJP's consistent attempts to label Kejriwal as working against 'Hindu India' could not go further.
Kejriwal also played it up well in 2020 when he stated, "People of Delhi will decide whether I am a terrorist or your son".
But in 2024 as people want to prepare themselves for May 25th voting, there is again a series of dramatic events. Kejriwal was arrested in April and after 50 days, the Supreme Court gave him a conditional bail.
But in between AAP's Rajya Sabha MP, Swat Maliwal was "manhandled" and subsequently, Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar was arrested for attacking Ms Malwal with full force and also allegedly slapping her.
On the other hand, the marginalisation of Congress actually made AAP’s task easier in Delhi and later in 2022 in Punjab. The AAP has gained ground at the cost of Congress. In the real sense when the I.N.D.I alliance was formed -- the AAP and the Congress really had a test case of sleeping with the enemy.
But politicians know how to change tracks so fast. Rahul Gandhi said the opposition alliance should be united and hence the Congress leader ( a voter in New Delhi parliamentary segment) was very categorical, “I will vote for AAP”,
Just take the clock back to 2011-12 era and any Denizen would recall says when Kejriwal used to attack the then Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and a galaxy of Congress and UPA leaders including Robert Vadra. But in power politics – past is always something to be forgotten.
One irony also was that the Muslim voters in Delhi in the 2020 assembly polls were helplessly drawn towards the Kejriwal’s party. Thus, nominal increase in BJP’s vote share from around 32 per cent (2015) to 38.5 now could not save the day for the BJP notwithstanding abrogation of Art 370 in August 2019.
The AAP and the Congress alliance in Delhi means Congress contesting three seats - and remaining four came to AAP's quota. The BJP played much calculative move and announced candidates such as Bansuri Swaraj (daughter of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj) for the prestigious New Delhi parliamentary seat.
The BJP has replaced many of its sitting MPs even those who had won 2019 polls with huge margins.
The AAP has fielded Somnath Bharti for the constituency. In 2009, the seat was won by Ajay Maken but in 2014 and 2019 -- Meenakshi Lekhi had won it for the Lotus outfit.
In 2014, BJP nominee Meenakshi Lekhi riding the powerful 'Modi wave' polled 4,53,350 votes defeating her nearest rival AAP's Ashish Khetan - who polled 2,90,642 votes. The Congress leader and former Union Minister Ajay Maken had finished third and could bag only 1,82,893 votes.
Five years later, in 2019 - Ms Lekhi retained the prestigious seat and her nearest rival this time was Ajay Maken and AAP's Brijesh Goyal had finished third. Chandni Chowk is another prestigious political constituency in Delhi.
The BJP has replaced two-time MP Dr Harsh Vardhan - who had won the seat in 2014 and 2019. In 1991, it was won by Tarachand Khandelwal of BJP. Jai Parkash Aggarwal of Congress wrested the seat in 1996 and then BJP's Vijay Goel won it twice - 1998 and 1999.
After that Kapil Sibal won the seat for two terms - 2004 and 2009. In 2004, Sibal defeated BJP's actress-turned-neta Smriti Irani.
However, in 2024, BJP's candidate is the trading community leader Praveen Khandelwal and his rival is Congress nominee Jai Parkash Aggarwal.
This is probably one of the seats in Delhi which Congress will be eyeing to get back.
In 2009 -- the Congress had won all seven seats in Delhi but in the last two elections (2014 and 2019), the grand old party was unable to open its account. In fact, the Congress agony is almost unexplainable as in 2015 and 2020 assembly polls - it scored zero. In that sense, Delhi is already Congress-mukt !
The paradox is Congress had ruled Delhi between 1998 and 2023 for - 15 long years at a stretch under Sheila Dikshit. No doubt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has his ground when he takes a dig: "Four generations of Congress ruled in Delhi, but today such is the state of the party that they can't even contest on four seats here."
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In the alliance agreement between Congress and AAP, another seat the grand old party is contesting this year is North East Delhi. The Congress candidate is a great headline hunter - Kanhaiya Kumar, a popular student leader and also a Communist candidate in 2019 polls for Begusarai in Bihar.
Kumar was humbled in Bihar and the Congress leadership has now pushed him here to garner substantial Bihari votes in the constituency. In fact, he will take on Bhojpuri actor and singer Manoj Tiwari, who has been winning the seat in 2014 and 2019.
In fact, in 2019, Tiwari could humble Congress stalwart Sheila Dikshit herself by a huge margin.
The BJP nominee managed 53.90 per cent of votes -- 787,799 votes while the former Delhi CM could only get 4,21,697 votes which was about 28 percent of total votes polled.
This segment is going to offer an exciting battle in 2024. Moreover, it ought to be kept in mind that opposing Kanhaiya Kumar's candidature, Delhi pradesh Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely has quit the grand old party and joined BJP.
East Delhi
The East Delhi Lok Sabha seat is always politically sensitive. In 1980, this segment – coincidentally also a hub of media persons – had H. K. L. Bhagat of Congress. He won in 1984 also . But in 1989 and 1991, it passed on to Baikunth Lal Sharma of BJP.
The saffron party dominated it for sometime. But in 2004, Sandeep Dikshit, former Delhi CM’s son, won it for the Congress and he won the seat in 2009 also.
In 2014, amid ‘Modi wave; Maheish Girri won it for the BJP by defeating nearest AAP rival Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of the Mahatma.
Maheish Girri had polled 5,72,202 votes – making it 47.83 per cent and Rajmohan Gandhi could poll 3,81,739. Sitting Congress MP then Sandeep Dikshit had finished third with 2,03,240 votes.
In 2019, BJP tried its luck in the constituency with cricket star Gautam Gambhir. He had polled 696,158 votes -- 55.35 per cent. Congress nominee Arvinder Singh Lovely had bagged 3,04,934 votes and AAP Atishi Marlena managed 2,19,328 for her.
For West Delhi, BJP's Kamaljeet Sehrawat will take on AAP nominee Mahabal Mishra. In 2019, Mahabal Misra was the Congress nominee.
BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma had polled as high as 60 per cent votes.
It came --- 865,648 60.05 but he has been denied ticket for making harsh remarks on communal lines.
In 2014 too, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma of BJP had won the seat by bagging 6,51,395 votes. He had humbled AAP's Jarnail Singh and Congress candidate Mahabal Mishra had finished third.
In South Delhi, the Lotus party has replaced Ramesh Bidhuri who had 687,014 votes – that 56.58 per cent. In fact, he had humbled a top ranking AAP leader Raghav Chadha – who secured 3,19,971 votes. The Congress candidate Vijender Singh had finished third.
In this year’s polls, BJP’s nominee is Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and he will take on AAP’s Sahiram Pehalwan.
For North West Delhi (SC - reserved seat); the BJP has replaced singer Hans Raj Hans, who has been instead fielded from Faridkot in Punjab.
The new candidate for BJP this time is Yogendra Chandolia, who will take on
Congress nominee Udit Raj.
In 2014, Udit Raj had polled 6,29,860 votes to win the seat for BJP. Raj, who
was also closely associated with Late LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, had defeated AAP nominee Rakhi Birla. There were two other candidates -- one - Ms Krishna Tirath of Congress and there was also one BSP candidate.
New Delhi - gave two Bharat Ratnas and many acclaimed lawmakers
In 1977 and 1980, Janata Party and later BJP's Atal Bihari Vajpayee
won the seat. In 1989 and 1991, it passed on to L K Advani and in 1992
by-poll, it was Rajesh Khanna of Congress who defeated BJP's Shatrughan Sinha.
In 1996, 1998 and 1999 BJP's Jagmohan Malhotra won the seat. But he was humbled by Ajay Maken of Congress in 2004. Maken won it again in 2009 but lost out in 2014.
Meenakshi Lekhi won the prestigious seat twice - 2014 and 2019.
Delhi voters want ‘capable MPs’ – no more dirty politics !!
Things may appear complex and puzzling in Delhi. No one is sure whether people will punish BJP for arresting Arvind Kejriwal or reward the party. People are also not sure what happens to issues such as jobless or emotive matters like Ram Temple for Hindus at Ayodhya.
“I am a devout Ram Bhakt, I admire BJP for bringing Ram Lalla back home; but I will not cast my vote this time. Delhi politics has got murkier and my way of protesting is not to vote at all. Moreover, there is unprecedented heat wave this time,” says 65-year-old Mahinder Kashyap, a voter in New Delhi segment.
Delhi Police on Sunday detained several workers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as they marched towards the BJP headquarters in the national capital as part of a planned 'Jail Bharo' protest. The march comes against the backdrop of the arrest of Kejriwal’s aide in connection with the assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.
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