Delhi polls: Intense campaigning comes to an end; stakes are high for AAP

The high pitch Delhi campaign came to an end on Monday evening, with three main parties, AAP, BJP and Congress putting up a spirited fight.

The stakes are particularly high for former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is the only declared chief ministerial candidate in the polls. Three-time chief minister, Kejriwal, is contesting these elections as a referendum on his “honesty”, as he had to face allegations of corruption for which he spent five months in jail.

Also read | Delhi Assembly Elections: Why stakes have never been higher for AAP

In the last few weeks, the campaign in the capital boiled down talk of development and electoral promises made by the three main parties, which include cash sops for women, students and free travel in buses and metro, and better health coverage.

Largely all the parties made similar offers, till Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced tax-free income up to Rs 12 lakhs in the Union Budget.

The BJP campaign got a last-minute boost with this budget announcement. The party was quick to come up with advertisements claiming it was Modi’s gift for Delhi. This major announcement became a talking point not just in Delhi but even across the country as it impacts the large pool of salaried households. So, the middle class is expected a crucial role in the polls in this round of elections. The BJP hopes that the voters will keep in mind this tangible offer when they press buttons on the EVMs.

This budget announcement did not have an appropriate counter from the AAP and Congress as the benefits will flow to the people in the next few months. The AAP floated a website telling people that they can save up to Rs 25,000 with their schemes.

The difference between the last assembly polls, in 2020, and this one is the Congress campaign. The grand old party is trying to regain its vote bank which helped it rule the capital city for 15 years under Sheila Dikshit. 

Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and Lok Sabha MP, Priyanka Gandhi, were the high profile campaigners for the party. The aggression in the Congress campaign, with Rahul Gandhi’s scathing attack on Kejriwal, marked a high point in the grand old party’s campaign as it wants to recover its vote bank.

The analysts and political strategists believe that Congress’ performance in Delhi can make the difference between the number of seats, the AAP and BJP get.

A crucial factor in this Delhi poll is the capital’s slums and unauthorised colonies. They have been AAP’s strongholds. However, the BJP made a concentrated effort to win over the voters of the areas.

As the state elections are becoming presidential in nature where the chief minister’s face becomes important, AAP hopes that it will pay them the dividends as none of its opponents have declared one.

As Delhiites prepare to vote, the question remains: will AAP’s welfare model once again outweigh the controversies surrounding its leadership? Or will the BJP’s narrative of double-engine governance with its latest budget announcement of income till Rs 12 lakhs being tax-free resonate more strongly? Or how much will the Congress be able to recover its lost ground?