Delhi Congress leaders are busy analysing the seats where the AAP and the BJP had increased their vote share in the recent lok Sabha elections as compared to last year. The Congress organised a closed door workshop on Wednesday to take stock of the vote share of its political rivals. This is being billed as introspection to regain the lost ground.
The party is likely to discuss in detail the community and caste-based issues concerning the city. The workshop will also delve on the importance of the effective usage of social media to reach out to the young voters in the city. Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, former city MPs, legislators of the dissolved Assembly, former MlAs and former district committee presidents along with Matia Mahal MlA Shoaib Iqbal, who recently left JD(U) to join the Congress are among the leaders expected to participate in the workshop.
The Congress has been making a desperate bid to make a come back in the city after its humiliating defeat in the last Assembly elections where the party could manage to win just eight of the 70 seats. While the newbie AAP and the BJP increased their vote share in the recent lok Sabha polls, the Congress’ voter percentage fell further from 24.50 per cent to 15 per cent.
The key issue, expected to be debated during the workshop, is how the AAP managed to increase its vote share in 35 Assembly seats during the lok Sabha polls. Of these 35 seats, 18 were won by the BJP in the last Assembly, eight by the Congress and one each by Shiromani Akali
Dal (SAD), JD(U) and an Independent. Also, the Congress leaders would analyse data of the 35 other seats where the BJP had managed to increase its vote share in the lok Sabha elections. Of these 35 seats, the AAP had won 23 in the last state elections and the remaining 12 were won by the BJP.
In the last Assembly poll, the Congress candidates stood second on 16 seats, third on 41 seats and fourth on as many as five constituencies. The party would also be devising a strategy to woo back the Muslim voters, who had in large numbers voted for the AAP in the lok Sabha.
The Muslim community which has a vote share of about 12 per cent in the city plays a key role in Gandhi Nagar (22 per cent), Seelampur (50 per cent), Mustafabad (36 per cent), Chandni Chowk (20 per cent), Okhla (43 per cent), Ballimaran (38 per cent), Shahdara (22 per cent), Matia Mahal (48 per cent), Seemapuri (25 per cent), Vikaspuri (20 per cent) and Babarpur (35 per cent).
The Congress would also focus on the seats which are dominated by the 20-odd lakh jhuggi dwellers in the city. These seats include Mangolpuri, Sultanpuri, Bawana, Narela, Badli, Adarsh Nagar, Burari, Karawal Nagar, Gokalpuri, Seemapuri, Shahdara, Trilokpuri, Kondli, Jangpura, Okhla, Badarpur, Tughlakabad, Sangam Vihar, Devli, Ambedkar Nagar, Mehrauli, Bijwasan, Madipur, Vikaspuri, Nangloi, Mundka and Kirari.