NEW DELHI: Despite suffering heavy losses in the assembly election, the BJP’s dominant display in the parliamentary polls highlights a significant political dynamic of the capital city.
The conflicting outcome between local and general elections suggests that Delhi voters cast their ballots on different issues during legislative assembly and parliamentary elections.
The local development promises by the AAP and Congress failed to resonate with the electorate, who cast their franchise based on national issues such as “global image of India”, and the “rising economy of the country” among others.
However, the result also gives a message to the BJP. Though the party sweeped on the city seats, the margins of victory in all seven have been notably reduced, pointing at a more competitive political landscape in the national capital.
Compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls where BJP candidates had won by margins ranging from over 2.28 lakh to 5.78 lakh votes, the 2024 elections saw a significant shift in the victory margins. Three of the BJP candidates won by a margin of less than one lakh votes, while only Yogendra Chandoliya surpassed the two-lakh mark. Chandoliya, in his debut appearance in the general elections secured a resounding victory over Congress’ Udit Raj by a margin exceeding 2.90 lakh votes. This marked the highest victory margin among all the winning BJP candidates.
Bansuri Swaraj secured the New Delhi seat defeating AAP’s Somnath Bharti by a margin of 78,370 votes, the lowest among all the winning candidates.
BJP candidate Manoj Tiwari achieved a hat-trick from the North East Delhi seat, defeating Congress’ Kanhaiya Kumar with a margin of 1.38 lakh votes. The famed Bhojpuri singer had won the seat by margin of 3 lakh votes in 2019.
Responding to the results, the AAP acknowledged the defeat but maintained that its candidates put up a strong resistance against the BJP, emphasising that the electorate had rejected the saffron “politics of hatred”.Delhi Congress hinted at resurgence in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls. “The amazing response recieved by Congress candidates in many assembly segments is proof that Congress is still strong at the grass-root level,” Pradesh Congress chief Devender Yadav said.
Takeaways for AAP, Congress
The election outcomes indicate that the AAP, even after attaining national party status, still needs to make substantial progress before it can effectively challenge the BJP’s dominance on the national political stage.
While the Congress is still keeping mum on the future of its alliance with AAP as the formation of the new government at the Centre is still underway, sources suggested that Congress will put up a solo fight in the forthcoming assembly election of Delhi. “I appeal to Congress workers to continue their hard work... strengthen grass-root level cadre,” Yadav said