
NEW DELHI: As Delhi heads to the polls on February 5, smaller political outfits are positioning themselves to disrupt the electoral calculations of the three major contenders—AAP, BJP, and Congress.
Parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) are fielding candidates across multiple constituencies, aiming to carve out their own voter base.
The BSP, which is contesting 68 of the 70 seats, is focusing on Dalit and marginalised communities. The party had been a minor player in Delhi politics in the past winning 14.04% of the votes and two seats in 2008 assembly elections.
However, this prominence has diminished over time and the party won just 0.71% of the votes and no seats in the 2020 elections. BSP leader Nitin Singh has criticised AAP, alleging that Kejriwal misled voters with false promises.
The party aims to reclaim the vote share it once held and has prioritised issues such as employment, education, and healthcare. Meanwhile, AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, is contesting two Muslim-dominated seats, emphasising its direct challenge to the BJP. AIMIM’s Delhi president, Shoaib Jamai has stated that the party’s goal is to confront the BJP head-on and address long-standing infrastructure and housing issues in Muslim-majority areas.
A new entrant in the political fray is the Bharatiya Liberal Party (BLP), founded by U.S.-based doctor Munish Kumar Raizada, who was formerly part of the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement.
Raizada, now a vocal critic of AAP, is contesting against Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency. He has accused Kejriwal of betraying the anti-corruption cause and vowed to establish an Anti-Corruption Commission, if elected. The party is contesting a total of four seats. In addition to these, there are several other fringe parties hoping to make a mark.
The Right to Recall Party, which is contesting 20 seats, is one such party. The party was founded by IIT Delhi graduate and anti-corruption activist Rahul Mehta in 2019. Mehta and his companions wanted to form a party that would give publicity to the draft of Right to Recall laws for lawmakers.