From freebies to ‘voter list manipulation’: Issues taking centre stage ahead of Delhi Assembly polls

Delhi is all set to witness a triangular contest between the AAP, Congress and BJP.

The political discourse in Delhi is currently being dominated by conversations around 'alleged' corruption charges, civic issues, welfare schemes, 'alleged' alteration in  voters list and the the potential electoral heft of the Purvanchali voters. These points are overshadowing several crucial existential issues like pollution, law and order, crimes against women.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, is leading the charge with its campaigns like "Revdi Par Charcha", emphasising its free electricity, water, healthcare, education, and public transport initiatives for women. The party has also announced new schemes, including the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana, promising Rs 2,100 monthly for women, and the Sanjeevani Yojana, ensuring free healthcare for senior citizens in both government and private hospitals.

Congress has countered with its 'Pyaari Didi Yojana', offering Rs 2,500 monthly for women, alongside the 'Jeevan Raksha Yojana', which promises insurance coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh. Meanwhile, the BJP is likely to unveil its manifesto soon.

Here are some issues that are at the forefront of election discourse:

Corruption: Unlike earlier elections, this time the poll offers a tough battle for AAP in this regard. The arrests of its key leaders, including Kejriwal, MP Sanjay Singh, and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, dented the party's image of “kattar imaandar”. However, now these leaders are out on bail and the AAP accused the BJP of trying to implicate its leaders to intimidate them.

On the other hand, the BJP has accused Kejriwal of knowing all about alleged scams. The BJP also attacked sharpening the former CM’s “Sheesh Mahal”. The BJP accused the AAP convener of diverting people’s money to fund his extravagant project. Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that over Rs 6 crore was spent on designer marbles and Rs 6 crore on motorised curtains among other things at the chief minister’s residence when Kejriwal stayed there.
Voters rolls

‘Voter list manipulation’: The AAP has accused central government ministers and MPs of the BJP residing in Lutyens Delhi of conspiring to register fake voters. The controversy over the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls escalated after Delhi Chief Minister Atishi wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, seeking another round of verification of the voter deletions in the New Delhi assembly constituency. The BJP has rejected all the allegations.

Wooing slumdwellers: All three main political parties, AAP, Congress and the BJP, are trying to woo the slum dwellers. According to Indian Express, almost three lakh households in Delhi’s 675 slums and 1,700 jhuggi-jhopri (JJ) clusters, or unauthorised colonies, make up almost 10% of the electorate. While the AAP has attacked the BJP over demolitions in slums in Tughalakabad, Sundar Nagari, Okhla, and other places ahead of the G-20 Summit in 2023, the BJP launched the “Jhuggi Vistarak Yojana” just after it won all seven seats of Delhi in last year’s Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, the Congress is conducting a door-to-door survey in slums. It is  often believed that slum voters often display higher turnout rates compared to their counterparts in more affluent neighbourhoods. As a result, their engagement makes an electoral impact.

Purvanchali voters: With a 40% vote share, Purvanchalis will once again be a deciding factor in the coming assembly elections. But like minorities, they too have realised that the AAP and the Congress have so far used them as a means to an end, with respect to the chief minister’s chair, without giving them proper representation in the assembly.

'Freebies' vs 'development' debate: With the Delhi Assembly elections just weeks away, the political discourse has been dominated by a critical issue: the balance between 'freebies' and 'development'. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced a raft of freebies and welfare schemes - a central part of its political playbook, sparking a debate on whether short-term welfare benefits should outweigh long-term infrastructure growth.