One of the factors for the BJP’s hat-trick in Delhi civic polls was actor-turned-politician and Delhi BJP Pradesh president Manoj Tiwari, the man entrusted with the stewardship of the party. Tiwari ran a relentless campaign and travelled through the length and breadth of the national Capital to reach out to the people at the bottom of the pyramid. With 243 day and night Mohalla Sabhas, Tiwari managed to win the hearts of Purvanchalis the people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, (25 per cent voters), who are considered a vital factor for winning elections in the city.
After the BJP’s win in 181 wards, Tiwari paid tributes to CRPF martyrs. “Every heart is filled with grief over the killing of 25 CRPF men in Sukma and the party will not celebrate the victory,” he tweeted.
Tiwari reached out to voters by visiting slums, unauthorised colonies and rural parts of Delhi in the run-up to the MCD polls, said that he will again go to all these places to strengthen his bond with the people.
The party, which was facing anti-incumbency after its 10-year rule in three municipal corporations, banked heavily on the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tiwari expressed his gratitude to the domineering presence of the Prime Minister as people saw hope in his governance.
“Every step taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his schemes for poor, women, soldiers, farmers and workers, went in our favour and fashioned this victory,” a beaming Tiwari said.
Tiwari, who had especially wooed Purvanchalis, also hinted that the BJP’s next goal will be Delhi Assembly elections due in 2020.
“Sinhasan khali karo ki janta aati hai (Vacate the throne for people are on their way),” he said reciting the famous Hindi poem by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar while hitting out at the AAP Government in Delhi.
“The man (Kejriwal) who was supposed to develop Delhi is dismantling it brick by brick. He threatens the people and curses them that they will contract dengue and chikungunya. People have responded to it by voting against him,” he said.
The party which won 67 Assembly seats has not even managed to get 67 wards, Tiwari said while taking a dig at AAP over the defeat in the municipal elections.
Basking in the MCD poll victory, Tiwari, who took over the reins of the city unit in November in 2016, stressed that voters have rejected Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s politics of negativity and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies for BJP’s historic win in the civic polls.
“The Chief Minister continued to spread negativity through his statements each day. People rejected it and voted for the BJP for its positive approach,” the BJP leader, who is also an MP from North-East Delhi, said.
In a democracy, people’s mandate is supreme. It must be honoured by everyone, he said adding that with the massive victory, the BJP had an equally big responsibility to fulfil the aspirations of the people.
“I want to assure the people of Delhi that we will work for their happiness,” said the BJP leader.