'Sheesh Mahal' To Slums, Purvanchalis to Pollution: 8 Issues That Will Decide Delhi Assembly Polls

The political parties have been raising a slew of issues such as Yamuna, corruption, freebies, slums, Rohingyas, and middle class, using them as their poll planks, aiming to win over the Delhi voters.

BJP's Parvesh Verma, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, and Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit.

Source : PTI

Delhi has turned into a fierce battleground ahead of the Assembly elections on February 5. Top contenders include the Aam Aadmi Party, which is grappling with its bruised image amid corruption allegations, aiming for a third consecutive term. The BJP, which has not won since 1998, is striving for a comeback, while the Congress, which ruled the national capital for 15 years, is also in the Delhi race to salvage its pride.

With the party’s novelty factor diminishing, the AAP — which was in complete disarray just a few months ago with top leaders including Arvind Kejriwal in jail on corruption charges — has left no stone unturned to regain control and rolled out a slew of new guarantees, well aware that the freebies alone won’t bring in luck the third time. 

The AAP introduced promises aimed at the youth, the elderly, Dalits, priests, Purvanchalis, slum dwellers, and the most important section in Delhi— the middle class— all in a bid to fight anti-incumbency, and other challenges like unfulfilled promises, and development issues. The support from first-time voters, which was one of the biggest reasons for the AAP's victory in 2013, making Congress almost irrelevant, is also no longer in play. 
 
From tasking MLAs to reach every voter’s doorstep, to slamming the BJP over Ramesh Bidhuri’s sexist comments and Parvesh Verma’s remarks on Punjab registration vehicles and alleged cash distribution, the AAP has cashed on every opportunity to confront the BJP which has, in turn, targeted it over lavish spending, stagnated development, alleged liquor scam, and “running a politics of lies and deceit”. 

Here are some poll planks that the AAP and BJP are banking on to emerge victorious in the Delhi Assembly elections 2025:

Corruption and 'Sheesh Mahal'

Sensing how AAP has taken a massive blow due to the corruption charges, the BJP made it its poll plank and continued to target the AAP mentioning the alleged liquor scam, and then later boosting it with a purported CAG report, accusing Kejriwal’s party of a Rs 2,026 liquor scam. 

The attacks intensified with the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ controversy, as the BJP leaders lambasted the former Delhi CM for his lavish Civil Lines residence on 6 Flag Staff Road. They stressed that he once worked on the principle of simple living and claimed he would never avail government benefits, but built a ‘sheesh mahal’ for himself. The AAP, when it came into power for the first time, had cashed on its honest party image, which now seems to have been damaged by these controversies and charges. 

PM Modi attacked Kejriwal, alleging that the AAP chief used public money to install exorbitant facilities at his official bungalow when he was the CM. He called the Delhi government an “AAP-da” government functioning on the “basis of lies and deceit” and unfulfilled promises. 

During a poll rally on January 25, Amit Shah came down heavily at Kejriwal, alleging that the level of corruption in Delhi has been the “most serious” issue as he went on to list several “scams” that he claimed had happened in the past two terms of AAP-led government.  

The AAP retorted to the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ row by naming PM Modi’s residence ‘Raj Mahal’ and even marched there to “expose” the luxuries at the “Rs 2,700 crore” bungalow. However, the Delhi Police stopped them. 

The ‘Middle Class’ Plank

The AAP, in a bid to woo the middle class in the poll-bound Delhi, launched what it called the “first middle-class” manifesto. The middle class, a loyal BJP support nationally, also holds a significant section in the city. To win them over, the AAP listed seven demands for the Centre to consider in the upcoming Budget on Saturday, February 1. 

These included: a cap on private school fees, increasing the education budget to 10 percent, subsidies and scholarships for higher education, a raise in income tax exemption limit from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, abolishing GST on essential items, restoration of discount to senior citizens in railways, and a comprehensive retirement plan with free treatment for the elderly.

Kejriwal, while announcing the “middle-class manifesto” called them a “victim of tax terrorism” who have had a “slave mentality” since Independence. He promised them to raise their voice in the upcoming Parliament sessions as he pointed out how no political party has addressed their interests and has instead just sidelined them.  

The seven demands are being seen as a move to capture the middle class, which reportedly accounts for 45 percent of the population in Delhi. However, it will not be an easy task for the AAP to win the middle-class voters, who sided with the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, given how the saffron party continues to make a dent in the AAP’s middle-class vote bank using the alleged liquor scam and ‘sheesh mahal’ row.  

Yamuna and Cleanliness

Another important issue that was raked up this year ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections is the polluted Yamuna River and the lack of cleanliness and proper sewer systems in the national capital.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath, a star campaigner for the BJP, slammed the AAP for being unable to clean the Yamuna despite its promise to clean it by 2025. He challenged Kejriwal to take a dip in the Yamuna along with his cabinet colleagues as he stated how he could easily take a dip in the Sangam in Prayagraj with his cabinet ministers despite crores of devotees thronging the city for Maha Kumbh Mela.

Yogi further hit out at Kejriwal over the lack of cleanliness in the city and the condition of roads. The AAP chief’s New Delhi rival Parvesh Verma even immersed his effigy in the polluted Yamuna to “expose” AAP’s unfulfilled promises to the people of Delhi. 

The BJP, in its final part of ‘Sankalp Patra’, has promised to clean the Yamuna within three years. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal acknowledged that he failed to clean the Yamuna River as promised and alleged that Haryana had “poisoned” the Yamuna so that “people die and AAP is blamed”. However, he has assured the river would be completely cleaned in two to three years.

The "mass genocide" claims made by Kejriwal left BJP enraged, with the PM Modi hitting out at him for the "digusting allegations" and questioning him whether the Haryana BJP would mix poison in the water to kill the PM, who also resides in Delhi and drinks water from the same river just like the entire city.

Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini also slammed the allegations and countered them by taking a sip of water from the Yamuna in Palla Ghat, where the river enters Delhi from Haryana. He then accused the AAP of releasing "absolutely poisonous" water into the river which further flows from Delhi to Faridabad in Haryana. Saini challenged the AAP chief to also take a sip from the Yamuna in Wazirabad. He further accused him of wanting to commit "mass genocide" in Faridabad. 

False and Unfulfilled Promises

Another major poll plank for the BJP has been targeting the Delhi government over “unfulfilled promises”. Several BJP leaders including the top brass Amit Shah, PM Modi, and Yogi Adityanath, have lashed out at Kejriwal for making “false promises” and not fulfilling them. The BJP has slammed the AAP for playing with the trust of Delhi’s people and not delivering what they had promised.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, in a press conference, hit out Kejriwal for trying to bring in new politics in Delhi, but instead acting contrary to his promises, calling it a “crisis of credibility”. He further cited ten examples of unfulfilled promises, including 24x7 clean water, women’s safety, live wires, cleaning garbage heaps, Yamuna cleaning, basic amenities for unauthorised colonies, homes for slum dwellers, and pollution. 

BJP also targeted AAP over announcing honorarium for granthis and priests in this year’s manifesto, when it could not fulfill the promise of similar allowances for Imams in the previous polls.

The saffron party has also stressed that its manifesto has been based on feedback from over 1.08 lakh people and that the party would continue to provide the amenities offered by the Delhi government. The AAP has called the ‘Sankalp Patra’ visionless and alleged that the BJP would discontinue all the freebies if voted to power in Delhi.

Regarding “unfulfilled promises” claims, Kejriwal has, on several occasions, admitted that his party failed to fulfill three promises, including cleaning the Yamuna, providing clean drinking water, and making Delhi roads of European standards. He assured these promises would be delivered in the next two to three years if AAP is re-elected.

Freebies

Freebies have remained at the centre stage of all the manifestos, with each political party offering a variety of welfare schemes, free services, healthcare benefits, and financial assistance to woo the voters.
  
The AAP has continued to offer ‘rewaris’ in this year’s Assembly polls as well to ensure its vote bank remains captivated, offering numerous guarantees to improve life in Delhi. Special emphasis has been laid on employment opportunities and the monthly payment of Rs 2100 to women under the Mahila Samman Yojana. Besides this, the AAP has also stressed its commitment to provide free healthcare to those above 60 years of age. Kejriwal has also promised to tackle Delhi’s water crisis and exempt inflated water bills. Another addition by the AAP in this year’s manifesto was the Rs 18,000 honorarium for temple priests and gurudwara granthis, special discounts for students in metro fares, separate electricity metres for tenants, and security support for RWAs among others.

The BJP, in its ‘Sankalp Patra’, has promised to offer enhanced healthcare support offering Rs 10 lakh insurance under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, free schooling from KG to PG in government institutions, Rs 2,500 monthly allowance to women under Mahila Samridhi Yojana,  and pensions for senior citizens rising from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 for those aged 60-69, and Rs 3,000 for those above 70. Besides this, the saffron manifesto also includes subsidised LPG cylinders, meals for the poor, and support for auto and taxi drivers under the PM SVANidhi Scheme. The BJP has also promised to continue with the existing AAP schemes in Delhi.

Congress, which has been facing massive back-to-back setbacks, has also announced Rs 2,500 under the Pyari Didi Yojana to women from low-income families and has promised to go beyond AAP’s promise of free electricity by assuring 300 units of free electricity. It is also promising Rs 25 lakh health insurance and subsidised LPG cylinders. 

Purvachalis

Of the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi, Purvanchalis have been considered to hold significant influence on nearly 27 seats. This vote bank hails from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand are people who came to the national capital in search of work but are now playing a major role in shaping the political equations in Delhi. 

The AAP has formed a task force to attract voters from the Purvanchal community by engaging with them at the ground level. Meanwhile, the BJP has also formulated a special strategy by forming a team of over 100 leaders from UP and Bihar to win over the Purvanchal vote bank in the city and roped in ground-level workers as well for increased influence.

Seven teams formed by the AAP have been assigned the responsibility of preparing strategies to connect with the Purvanchalis and given tickets to 12 Purvanchali candidates just like during the 2020 Delhi polls.

The BJP, which succeeded in garnering support from this community in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, has appointed former MP and Assam BJP chief Harish Dwivedi as the coordinator to lead the team of party officials. It has also brought in Purvanchali leaders Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kishan, Jagdambda Singh, and Bipin Tiwari to win over the Purvanchali vote bank, which political parties believe accounts for one-sixth of the city’s population. BJP has also been highlighting key issues such as polluted Yamuna, the condition of slums, and Chhat Puja, during poll rallies at neighbourhoods with significant Purvanchali voters.  

Rohingyas and Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants

Another major point of contention between the AAP and BJP has been the illegal settlement of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi immigrants in Delhi.  Both parties have accused each other of settling Rohingya refugees and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in slums to increase the voter base. It began with the Delhi LG VK Saxena ordering a special drive to identify “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants” in the capital and also their children studying in Delhi schools.

The BJP, which once faced criticism for intending to shift Rohingyas to EWS housing in July 2022, foregrounded the issue against AAP, alleging that the party added Rohingyas to Delhi’s voter list to change the city’s demography and also that they were being provided all the facilities such as ration, water, and electricity by “people of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan”. BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri and Parvesh Verma also accused the AAP and Congress of issuing fake identification documents to Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrators.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva even demanded an investigation into the matter, alleging that the Rohingyas and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were registered as Delhi voters at the behest of the AAP.  Meanwhile, the AAP rubbished the BJP’s allegations and instead counterclaimed that it was the BJP that allowed Rohingyas to settle in the city without the Delhi government’s knowledge. 

The saffron party linked AAP MLA Mohinder Goyal with a Bangladeshi infiltration racket alleging his involvement in obtaining Aadhar cards for Rohingyas. The party has strategically raked up this issue, linking this matter to a broader act of negligence by the AAP and posing itself as a party that can ensure the city’s security and maintain law and order.

Slum Dwellers

Over three million people in Delhi reside in around 750 slums, clusters, and JJ colonies,  half of whom are registered voters who make up a solid AAP vote bank. When AAP won 62 seats in the 2020 Delhi polls, after a record victory of 67 votes in 2015, these slum-dwellers had a massive role to play in it.

Now, this is the vote back that the BJP is looking to woo, besides retaining its existing voter base. The Assembly constituencies that have a massive slum voter base include Okhla, Ambedkar Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, Narela, Wazirpur, Badarpur, Sangam Vihar, Matiala, Kirari, Seemapuri, Komdli, and Tughlakabad, among others.

The freebies offered by the AAP in the previous two terms helped the party secure overwhelming support from these voters. But this time, the BJP is trying to highlight the grievances left unaddressed and making solution-driven promises. When PM Modi sounded the poll bugle in Delhi, he handed over around 1,675 flats to slum-dwellers under the ‘Jaha Jhuggi, Waha Makan’ scheme, which was viewed as a counter to the welfare schemes offered by the ruling AAP. However, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP would demolish the slums if voted to power and has even challenged Shah to drop cases registered against slum dwellers and resettle the displaced.

To connect with the slum dwellers, the BJP has even gone to the extent of leaders like Virendraa Sachdeva staying overnight in slum clusters to talk to the residents in order to understand their challenges as part of the Pravas campaign.
 
The BJP has assured to launch infrastructure and housing projects for slum dwellers apart from existing welfare schemes and subsidies. The AAP, on the other hand, has vowed to make life in slums “better” with free electricity, water supply, sewer pipelines, and roads. The parties have been trying hard to secure the support of the slum dwellers as they play a key role in deciding who sits on the Delhi chair.

While AAP currently holds the majority in the Assembly with 62 seats and has been in power for the last 10 years, the BJP, which has the remaining eight seats, is desperately looking to end its over 25-year-long hiatus. Meanwhile, the Congress, which has been drawing a blank in the last two polls despite being in power under Sheila Dikshit’s leadership from 1998-2013, is looking to gain some of the lost ground.

The voting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held in a single phase on February 5, with the counting of votes to be held on February 8.