With the Delhi election schedule likely to be announced in the next few days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a number of projects in the national capital and will unveil more on Sunday. It became an occasion for a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state, as Modi referred to them as "aapda," punning on the word AAP, meaning disaster.
Modi stated that the people of Delhi had made up their minds to change the government.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was quick to attack PM Modi, accusing the latter of humiliating the people of Delhi.
Modi’s sharp criticism of the AAP, highlighting corruption allegations and the construction of an opulent residence for the chief minister, has set the stage for a high-octane election campaign in the coming days. The BJP has already launched a series of creative campaigns, using popular Hindi movie characters to highlight AAP’s “failures.”
The BJP is optimistic about its chances in the capital, having been out of power for over 25 years. A series of corruption charges, along with jail stint for Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, have added fuel to the party’s campaign.
While inaugurating the projects, the Prime Minister said these included housing for the poor, along with initiatives related to schools and colleges. He specifically addressed the beneficiaries, particularly women, as they were set to begin a "new innings."
He added that pucca houses had replaced jhuggis, and own houses had replaced rented ones, marking indeed a new beginning. Modi remarked that the houses allocated to the people symbolised self-respect, self-esteem, and new aspirations and dreams.
Among the new initiatives, Modi promised the setting up of a new CBSE building as he laid the foundation stones for new Delhi University campuses—Eastern and Western campuses, to be developed in Surajmal Vihar and Dwarka, respectively. Additionally, a new college named after Veer Savarkar will be built in Najafgarh.
Modi’s sharp attack on the state government for mismanaging funds meant for education suggests that the BJP is poised to go all out in the election campaign to target AAP.
Kejriwal, holding a press conference after Modi’s rally, also launched a frontal attack on the BJP, claiming that the “aapda” was within the saffron party, as they had not yet declared their CM candidate.
As the election campaign intensifies following the Election Commission’s announcement, it is likely to be a fiercely contested one. The key elements of the campaign are expected to be twofold: the chief ministerial face, where Kejriwal has already declared he will return as CM, but both the BJP and Congress have not yet named their candidates. This lack of clarity is seen as a constraint on BJP’s campaign.
The second major issue is likely to centre around the beneficiaries of various schemes. The AAP’s announcement of Rs 2,100 for women is set to become a major rallying point for the party.
The BJP is attempting to capitalise on the perceived anti-incumbency sentiment against the government by inaugurating projects and laying foundation stones in sectors such as education, welfare, and healthcare—the same sectors where AAP claims to have made significant strides over the past 10 years.
The Congress’ campaign has remained relatively low-key thus far. The party has focused its criticism on the AAP government, aiming to wrest back some of its traditional strongholds.
The battle for Delhi is only set to intensify in the coming days.
