In a bid to woo the slum voters ahead of the Delhi assembly elections slated to be held next year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers on Tuesday went on a Ratri Pravas Samvaad (night stay dialogue) with the Jhuggi Cluster residents across the city in around 250 listed jhuggi clusters while playing games and interaction about their problems.

This overnight stay programme of leaders in jhughis is a part of the ongoing Delhi BJP campaign called ‘Jhuggi Vistar Abhiyan’ under which the party has appointed ‘jhuggi vistarks’ and ‘jhuggi palaks’.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva went on an overnight stay at Nehru Camp of Vinod Nagar in Patpadganj Assembly area of East Delhi. Talking to the media, Sachdeva said, “It seems former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has lost his political mental balance fearing defeat and therefore giving irrelevant political statements.”

He added that till couple of years back the jhuggi clusters were Kejriwal's political stronghold but both in 2022 MCD Polls and in 2024 Loksabha Polls, the ruling party lost most the wards and assembly areas dominated by jhuggi residents which has given a big political setback to Kejriwal.

He condemned Arvind Kejriwal for saying that BJP leaders are on political tourism in jhuggis for election and said, “Kejriwal who just got bail should check about how long BJP leaders have been engaged with jhuggi dwellers - Manoj Tiwari did first Ratri Pravas in Inderpuri jhuggi cluster on 31st December 2016 and kept repeating his ratri pravas series during his tenure in different areas of Delhi.”

While their overnight stay, Sachdeva and other leaders had a dialogue with jhuggi cluster heads and other citizens to resolve basic issues and thereafter went door to door discussing local problems and their suggestions especially with the jhuggi dweller women.

Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, who visited Kalandar Colony in Shahdara, said, “Jhuggi dwellers in Delhi very well remember that during covid phase it was BJP workers who stood by them when AAP MLAs went missing and they will give maximum jhuggi cluster dominated seats to BJP in Assembly 2025 Polls.”

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta went to Kheda Colony, Northeast MP Manoj Tiwari went to Indira Vikas Basti, South Delhi BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri went to Gola Kuan Camp, Northwest Delhi BJP MP Yogendra Chandolia went to Bawana Ward 30, West Delhi BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat went to Goela Diary Camp, Chandni Chowk BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal went to Sewa Bast Lawrence Road and New Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj went to Ravi Das Camp  at R.K. Puram.

The BJP leaders assured the slum dwellers that come what may BJP will stand by them and ensure that all jhuggi clusters remain where they are. “BJP once in Delhi Government will make DUSIB provide best civic services to jhuggi residents and fight for the cause of jhuggi residents,” the BJP leader said.

As the elections are coming closer, the BJP is trying to attract the voters of slums, who are conventionally Congress’ and AAP’s vote banks. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed the Lok Sabha in February in 2022 that Delhi has 675 listed and 82 unlisted jhuggi jhopdi bastis on the land of various government agencies, including Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).

Officially, there are about 750 big and small slums in Delhi, which have at least 350,000 families (3.5 lakhs) including 20 lakhs people living in them.