As Congress plans to contest all seats in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 in an attempt to make a comeback, it has chalked out its strategy meticulously. The Grand Old Party has decided to target the minorities, particularly the Muslims and the people belonging to the OBC and lure them back to its fold.
Political observers believe, the BJP may be looked at as an anathema by the Muslims and the party may not focus on the OBC voters, which have not been its main support base in the national capital.
Balancing Acts Of BJP
The saffron party may choose to focus on the upper-class society like Jats and Gurjars. It may also reach out to the opposing communities and try to strike a balance between them.
It is evident by the fact that the saffron party has fielded Jat leader Parvesh Singh Verma from New Delhi and Gurjar leader Ramesh Bidhuri from Kalkaji.
Congress To Focus On Muslim-Dominated Areas
If reports are to be believed, the Grand Old Party has chosen to concentrate on Muslim-dominated constituencies of Seelampur, Mustfabad, Chandni Chowk, Ballimaran, Matia Mahal, Gokulpuri, Babarpur, Okhla and some other areas.
The Muslims have a sizeable population in these areas and may affect the outcome of the polling.
Also Read: Has BJP Fielded Ramesh Bidhuri Under Well-Crafted Strategy To Polarise Voters In Delhi?
The Congress is encouraged by the fact that it received substantial votes in the Lok Sabha Election 2024, though none of its candidates could emerge victorious.
Taking a step in the direction well before time, the party has announced candidates for these seats and its local leaders have launched the programmes to reach out to the voters.
Targeting OBC Voters
In an attempt to woo back the OBC voters, the Mallikarjun Kharge-led party has also emphasised areas like Badli, Gandhi Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, Hari Nagar, Jungpura and Bavana.
If reports are to be believed, the Congress has made special programmes for slum areas, where the Aam Aadmi Party has made deep inroads.
As the AAP has won the voters of the slum areas by providing subsidies for water bills, and free electricity up to 200 units per month, the Congress is raking up the issues of lack of water and infrastructure.
Also Read: Delhi Assembly Elections 2025: Is It A Golden Opportunity For Congress To Make A Comeback?
Congress candidate from the New Delhi constituency, Sandeep Dixit, has already raised this issue and questioned the ruling AAP for lack of infrastructure in the national capital.
Though New Delhi is the area of rich and upwardly mobile people like civil servants, judges, businessmen, and government employees, he has raked up the issue, considering that it may go down well with the people living in less-privileged constituencies.
Congress Not To Get Sucked Into Hindutva Issues
Political analysts believe, the Congress is cautious and it is vigilant on the issue of Hindutva and the polarisation of votes just before the election. The AAP too has adopted this approach.
BJP candidate from Kalkaji and its former MP, Ramesh Bidhuri, targeted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. He claimed that though Lalu Prasad Yadav failed to construct Bihar roads like those of Hema Malaini’s cheeks, he would certainly build roads as smooth as those of Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks if he was elected.
Congress hit back and Bidhuri apologised much later, after coming under the pressure from the party leadership.
‘Batenge Toh Katenge’
Political observers believe, the Grand Old Party may also have planned not to get sucked into any discourse on communal lines, as it may further help the BJP.
The saffron party may rake up a Hindutva issue and pull Congress into the unwarranted debate, which will help it polarise the voters.
Also Read: Delhi Assembly Elections 2025: Will RSS Use Hindutva To Propel BJP To Power?
The saffron party raked up the issue of “Batenge Toh Katenge” in Haryana assembly polls and repeated it in the Maharashtra elections.
It succeeded in polarising the voters and reaping rich electoral dividends in both states, much to the chagrin of parties like the Congress.
The party is aware of it and so it is moving in a subtle way. This is why the Congress is trudging carefully on issues like Mathura Shahi Eidgah-Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi, Kashi Vishwanath- Gyanvapi Mosque or Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
Past Performance Of Congress
Congress’ electoral performance in Delhi has not been something the party can boast of. It won the Delhi Assembly Elections for the last time in 2008. It lost the assembly polls in Delhi 2013, 2015, and 2020.
While the grand old party won eight seats and garnered 24.7% of votes at the height of the in Anna Hazare-led movement, its vote share plummeted to 9.7% and it failed to win a single seat.
Its performance hit the rock-bottom in 2020 when it could get 4.3% of votes polled. All of its candidates, except Arvinder Singh Lovely from Gandhi Nagar, Devender Yadav from Badli and Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar, lost their deposits.
If a candidate fails to get one-sixth of the votes polled, his security deposit of Rs 10,000 is forefeited.
However, the political analysts believe, the Congress should win at least a few seats this time as the AAP is facing the challenges of anti-incumbency and the erosion of the image of being a corruption-free party.
