Delhi Election: How Purvanchalis influence polls in the Capital; what AAP, BJP and Cong are doing to woo them

Image: Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra (left), BJP Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari (center) and CM Arvind Kejriwal of AAP

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is hoping to retain power in the national capital, banking on what it claims were unprecedented development initiatives rolled out by them in the last five years.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress, on the other hand, have questioned AAP’s campaign pitch, with a counter claim that not enough has been done.

In the last few days, the narrative has also shifted towards nationalism amid protests over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the ongoing sit-in at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area.

While election issues in Delhi may be different to those in other states due to its largely urban demography, caste and identity politics is still relevant. In fact, it can also impact the election’s outcome.

Like any other state or region of the country, the electorate could be bifurcated into voting blocs. In Delhi, for decades, the blocs have been Punjabis, Purvanchalis and Muslims.

For any party hoping to win the election, striking a balance with these blocs is the key.

One of the largest blocs are the Purvanchalis. These are people residing in Delhi, but who have their origins in Bihar, eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Also read: It's AAP vs BJP in the national capital; can Congress pull off a surprise?

How strong is the influence?

This community makes up around 30 percent, or over 1/4th, of Delhi’s voter base. They are largely based in the east, north-east and outer areas of Delhi such as Dwarka and Badarpur.

About 30 of the 70 Legislative Assembly seats in Delhi have a high Purvanchali population — or at least high enough to influence the outcome. Of these 30, there are about 15-16 seats where they expected to be the deciding factor.

These seats are: Adarsh Nagar, Badarpur, Badli, Burari, Kundali, Karawal Nagar, Kirari, Laxmi Nagar, Mustafabad, Patparganj, Palam, Rithala, Trilokpuri, Sangam Vihar, Uttam Nagar and Vikaspuri.

With the majority mark to form the government being 36, getting a major chunk of these seats help the cause immensely.

Also read: Patparganj, New Delhi and beyond — key battles playing out in the Capital

How are parties wooing them?

All three parties have been wooing Purvanchalis. With an aim to connect with Purvanchali voters, the AAP had launched the ‘Aapan Purvanchal’ campaign in October 2019. The month-long campaign was for AAP to explain Purvanchali voters the good work done for them by the Kejriwal government.

AAP has claimed that its government spent over Rs 1,000 crore on development projects, constructed roads and laid new sewer lines in around 500 colonies in areas predominantly inhabited by Purvanchalis.

It also increased the number of ghats from 72 to 1,200 to facilitate celebration of Chhath — one of the biggest Purvanchali festivals.

In its election manifesto, AAP has said it will ask the Centre to add Bhojpuri — one of the key languages in Purvanchal — to be added to the 8th Schedule of Constitution and make it an official language.

Also read: People voting differently at Centre and state levels — what it means for the national capital

The Congress has made former BJP leader Kirti Azad, a Purvanchali face, the chairman of its Delhi polls campaign committee. It has also given his wife Poonam Azad a ticket to contest from Sangam Vihar (a Purvanchali dominated seat). Purvanchali support had helped Congress secure three consecutive terms between 1998 and 2013 under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit.

In a bid to help gain Purvanchali votes, Congress has also tied up with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) — a Bihar-based party. RJD is contesting four seats — Burari, Kirari, Uttam Nagar and Palam. All of these seats are Purvanchali-dominated. Congress also got former Bihar deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to campaign in parts of Delhi.

BJP has done something similar. For the first time, it has formed a pre-poll alliance with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) in Delhi. JD(U) is BJP’s ally in Bihar.

JD(U) is contesting from two Purvanchali-dominated seats — Burari and Sangam Vihar. The saffron party also got Nitish Kumar to campaign in Delhi.

Since the last election, the BJP has made Member of Parliament (MP) Manoj Tiwari, a Purvanchali, its Delhi unit chief. The famous singer and actor has now become the Purvanchali face of the BJP and continues to lead the party’s campaign. However, they have stopped short of announcing him as their chief ministerial face.

Delhi will head for polling in a single phase on February 8. Counting of votes will happen on February 11.

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