Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is a star attraction among the BJP cadre during elections. The monk CM campaigned in the national capital on Thursday, where the BJP reminded the audience of its war cry, batenge toh katenge (divided we fall), the same slogan that had helped the party reap benefits in the Maharashtra elections.
Adityanath's counterpart in neighbouring Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, is also in Delhi to campaign for the party candidates.
While the BJP has fielded its high-profile chief ministers for the campaign, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party is relying on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to catch voters’ attention. Mann with his quick wit is good at engaging with people. Mann is likely to stay in Delhi till the last day of campaigning.
Unlike the national leaders who campaign in different areas with big rallies, the chief ministers address small gatherings and hold road shows. The chief ministers are key to the campaign as they represent regional identity and community which comes in handy while wooing the same section in the national capital. Being a melting pot of cultures, the Delhi voters are a mixed a lot.
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The Congress, too, had called its chief ministers to Delhi for a similar task. Most of the promises made by the party were announced by CMs of various states. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy released the promises like subsidised LPG cylinder, free ration and three hundred units of free power. Earlier Karnataka’s deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar announced the Congress's promise of giving Rs 2,500 to women.
Yogi Adityanath in his speech targeted the AAP for allegedly trying to increase its votebase by helping the illegal Bangladeshis settle in the national capital. The UP CM also raked up the issues of Yamuna pollution and corruption. BJP’s other CMs, too, have been attacking Arvind Kejriwal for his policies and "unkept promises".
Kejriwal usually holds three rallies a day and engages with voters through other means. He also addresses a press conference to counter the BJP’s claims and announce new promises to woo voters. On Thursday, he promised to create jobs and employment.
The campaign in the national capital will pick up further after Republic Day as more state-level leaders of different parties are expected to camp here to woo voters in various constituencies. The party which is able to touch base with a maximum number of voters and mobilise them on the day of polling will perform well. As the trend suggests, the Delhi polls are headed for a cliffhanger.