With the Delhi Assembly elections approaching, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is striving for a fourth consecutive term, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is determined to reclaim power after 27 years. Meanwhile, the Congress, once a dominant force in Delhi politics, is making a concerted effort to revive its past glory.
Despite its earlier criticism of populist measures, the BJP has also joined the fray in promising welfare schemes, signaling a shift in strategy. As the campaign reaches its climax, each party has deployed tactics tailored to its strengths and vulnerabilities.
AAP: Banking on New Faces Amid Challenges
For over a decade, AAP has built its political brand on education reforms, healthcare initiatives, and subsidized utilities. However, this election presents fresh hurdles, including anti-incumbency sentiment and corruption allegations that threaten to weaken its stronghold.
In an effort to counter voter fatigue, AAP took a bold approach by denying tickets to several sitting MLAs and introducing new candidates. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal framed the election as a choice between “those working for Delhi and those trying to destroy it.”
AAP concentrated its campaign on its core voter base—working-class families residing in slums and unauthorized colonies. Through localized town halls, door-to-door canvassing, and its extensive volunteer network, the party emphasized its governance successes, such as improvements in government schools, the effectiveness of mohalla clinics, and its continued commitment to welfare schemes.
However, corruption allegations against its leadership remained a significant hurdle. While Kejriwal dismissed the charges as politically motivated, the opposition ensured these accusations remained a central theme in their campaign.
Delhi Elections: A Referendum on AAP’s Governance
For the BJP, this election is not just about gaining seats but about dismantling AAP’s credibility. The party launched an aggressive, high-profile campaign targeting AAP’s governance record, corruption allegations, and unfulfilled promises in both Delhi and Punjab.
The Parivartan Yatra, covering all 70 constituencies, was BJP’s flagship outreach initiative, reinforcing its message that Delhi deserves a change in leadership.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah led multiple rallies, directly attacking Kejriwal’s governance. Their speeches focused on corruption allegations, financial mismanagement, and stalled development projects, challenging AAP’s claim of effective governance.
Unlike AAP, which introduced fresh candidates, BJP fielded heavyweight contenders, including former MPs and high-profile defectors from rival parties. Strengthening its grassroots machinery, the party ramped up booth-level mobilization, conducted extensive roadshows, and leveraged social media to amplify its criticism of the AAP government.
Delhi Elections 2025: Congress Crafting a Comeback Strategy
While AAP and BJP engaged in high-octane rallies, Congress opted for a more intimate campaign approach. In the narrow lanes of Delhi, small gatherings were held where candidates spoke about inflation, pollution, unemployment, and civic mismanagement, engaging directly with voters.
After years of political irrelevance, Congress recognized that it could not rely solely on its past achievements. It adopted a hyper-local strategy, selecting constituency-level candidates with strong grassroots connections rather than established party heavyweights.
The Delhi Nyaya Yatra, launched months before the elections, marked Congress’s attempt to reconnect with voters. Senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held targeted public meetings in key constituencies where the party believed it had a fighting chance.
The party’s core message was clear: both AAP and BJP had failed Delhi, and voters needed a real alternative.
Who Has the Edge?
Political analysts suggest that this election presents a different dynamic compared to previous ones, where AAP overwhelmingly defeated Congress and the BJP. AAP appears to have a distinct edge, owing to its decade-long track record of delivering welfare schemes and having a strong chief ministerial candidate in Kejriwal.
Since Kejriwal and his colleagues’ release from jail, the party intensified its outreach efforts through padyatras and discussions on welfare initiatives. AAP also moved swiftly in declaring candidates, well ahead of its rivals, and promised additional benefits to voters.
Despite BJP’s initial strategy of attacking AAP’s governance record and corruption allegations, it later shifted focus to welfare promises. Similarly, Congress attempted to reclaim its former voter base, which had largely shifted allegiance to AAP over the past decade.
Despite these challenges, AAP has managed to retain its popularity by emphasizing its governance record and social welfare schemes. The party’s decision to drop nearly two dozen MLAs facing anti-incumbency has helped rejuvenate its image, while its grassroots engagement through padyatras and early candidate selection further bolstered its prospects.
While the opposition has made gains, AAP continues to hold a strong position as the city heads into the polls, with Kejriwal’s leadership and the party’s track record giving it a significant advantage.
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