The voters of Delhi elected a new political party over experienced hands in 2015 Assembly elections, and once again the 13 wards of the Capital will be a reality check for old players — BJP and Congress. For BJP, it will be a test to identify how strong the party is on ground after consecutive wins in the MCD and for the Congress, it will be a chance to regain its lost ground after massive poll debacles in 2015 Assembly elections and 2014 lok Sabha polls.
The BJP has been under the fire for “corrupt” practices and directionless leadership after the Assembly poll debacle last year, where it could manage only three seats. The bypolls will reflect whether the BJP, who has been ruling the MCD for the last 14 years, has managed to consolidate its vote bank or learn from its mistakes. If the party is able to secure almost four seats, it will bolster the party’s chances to make a comeback in the 2017 showdown. But if the AAP or the Congress wins big, the BJP might find it difficult to win the MCD elections for the fourth time.
Exuding confidence over winning bypolls Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said, “BJP has regained the confidence of the people of Delhi and in these civic by-elections we will get the largest vote share and our performance will be the best.”
Delhi BJP secretary Ashish Sood said, “For BJP, all the municipal elections are important. We were able to stop AAP’s surge in the university elections after AAP’s victory in the Assembly polls. This election on 13 wards of MCD will show whether the allocation of Rs526 crore of AAP to exercise their strategy of blowing its own trumpet worked or not.”
He, however, added that there is no link of these bypolls with the upcoming 2017 MCD elections. “Both the elections are two different ball games,” Sood said.
For the Congress, bypolls could act as the silver lining in the time of poll debacles. The party’s revival is pegged on the result of these polls after it drew a blank in the last Assembly polls. The party also faced a massive debacle in the 2014 lok Sabha elections. Of the total 272 seats of Delhi Municipal Corporation, the BJP commands over 138 seats while the Congress has a total of 78 seats.
According to party insiders, if the Congress manages to get at least two to three seats, it will be a revival of the party in Delhi. “This bypoll is important for the Congress revival in Delhi politics. In 2015 Assembly polls, the Congress drew a blank. This election is an opportunity to revive our graph,” said Congress leader Mukesh Goel.
Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said his candidates have been getting overwhelming support in all the wards. “The voters’ response towards the Congress candidates was a clear indication that the Congress would win the MCD bypolls with thumping margins. Delhiites are fed up with the misrule of the AAP and the BJP as these parties had made many tall promises, only to let people down and betray them as no ground level work has been done for the development. Not only the law and order situation has worsened in Delhi, but also no step has been taken to address the pressing problems of the people,” added Maken.