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Last Updated Wednesday November 25 2020 04:39 AM IST
Other Stories in National Scrutiny

Battle for Delhi

Sachidananda Murthy
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Delhi Assembly polls A child looks on from a cycle rickshaw during an election campaign rally. AFP

The Delhi Assembly election campaign has become intensive with Prime Minister Narendra Modi investing lot of time and energy trying to get the elusive prize. Sushma Swaraj, the last BJP chief minister of Delhi, lost the city for the party in 1998. The 17 year drought has been chilling for the local unit of the party. But for Modi, bagging the city is another gem in his crown, as he wants to maintain a perfect record of victories in elections, ever since winning his first assembly elections in Gujarat. He and his party president Amit Shah do not want the bitter taste of defeat.

As Modi has poured his big battalions of union ministers and MPs, and brought in Kiran Bedi as chief ministerial face from outside, the opposition too has intensified efforts. The Aam Aadmi Party, the main challenger to the duopoly of Congress and BJP over Delhi, is enjoying BJP's nervousness. Arvind Kejriwal has shrugged off the nationwide defeat in Lok Sabha elections, and has realised his party is a phenomenon of Delhi and Punjab. He was the first to jump into the campaign and tries to remain on top in the psychological warfare. The Congress, which was relegated to a poor third in both the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, has also found new vigour through its chief ministerial nominee Ajay Maken. Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, who were initially reluctant to campaign, have been doing rallies and roadshows.

Even though Amit shah had earlier dismissed Delhi as another municipal corporation, the BJP has realised that a defeat in a city where it had won all the seven parliament seats just nine months ago, will shatter the morale. The city's electorate is in many layers based on caste, region and income levels. Kiran Bedi, who is confidence personified already calls herself as chief minister designate and is enjoying her day in the winter sun. Interestingly, even in 1998, the BJP had brought in Sushma Swaraj as chief minister with just six weeks left for elections after replacing an ineffective Sahib Singh Verma, but Sushma could do little. That way the time available to Bedi is even less and she is facing adjustment problems with the local leaders.

Both Aam Aadmi Party and Congress are pitching on a pro poor and anti reform agenda saying that the Modi government only wants to help the rich and large companies. The BJP has responded that it wants to be a responsible party which will bring economic growth and thereby generate jobs in both organised and informal sectors. A shock defeat in Delhi elections can raise doubts within the BJP about the thrust of the central government's economic policies, and there could be voices asking for moderation on slashing budgets for pro poor programmes like food security and employment guarantee.

But a big victory through the endorsement of middle and poorer classes will embolden Modi to go fast on his reforms route. While Arvind Kejriwal is pitching hard for a majority, Congress would like to progress slowly. The grand old party would be happy if it can be balancing force in a hung assembly. Such a result would slow the march of Modi and make the new government in Delhi dependent on Congress support, as it happened in last Assembly elections.

Tailpiece: Radio has become the most popular medium for parties and candidates. Such is the competition the three parties are ready with reply advertisements within hours of a new pitch by one of the parties.

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