JOIN USAAP still popular among Delhi's Muslims, Dalits
A sizeable number of Muslims, residents in unauthorised colonies and Dalits in Delhi have backed the Aam Aadmi Party in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls.
These committed voters ensured that out of the 70 Assembly segments in the city, the AAP candidates polled more votes than their nearest rival in at least 10.
In three Assembly segments each in South Delhi and North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituencies, the AAP candidates polled more votes than the victorious BJP candidate.
In South Delhi, BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri defeated AAP’s Devender Sehrawat while in North West Delhi BJP’s Udit Raj beat AAP’s Rakhi Birla, a former Delhi minister.
Bidhuri emerged victorious in his Lok Sabha seat but in the Assembly constituencies of Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar and Sangam Vihar he got less votes than Sehrawat. All three constituencies are home to dozens of unauthorised colonies.
Vote share
In Deoli, the AAP got 53,402 votes while the BJP polled 41,252 votes. In the Assembly elections in December 2013, AAP candidate Prakash had got 51,646 votes, suggesting a gain of 1,752 votes for the AAP in the Assembly segment as compared to the December contest.
The BJP too has improved its vote share in the Deoli Assembly constituency since the December poll. While voting for Bidhuri, 41,252 electorate pressed the party’s lotus symbol as compared to 17,108 voters who backed Gagan Rana, the party’s candidate in the Assembly elections.
During Bidhuri’s contest with Sehrawat , 36, 576 voters of the Ambedkar Nagar Assembly constituency backed the AAP as compared to 34,465 who chose the BJP. In Sangam Vihar constituency also, the AAP polled more votes than the BJP. Sehrawat got 45,322 votes as against Bidhuri’s 32,233.
Four Muslim-dominated Assembly constituencies in Delhi also gave a thumbs up to the AAP candidate regardless of the fact that the victorious Lok Sabha candidates from these areas were that of the BJP.
In the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, voters of Seemapuri and Seelampur Assembly constituencies gave AAP candidate Anand Kumar more votes than BJP’s Manoj Tiwari.
In Seemapuri Assembly constituency, the AAP got 47,491 votes and the BJP got 41,282 votes. In Seelampur Assembly constituency, the AAP polled 46,050 votes and the BJP bagged 29,861 votes.
In the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, the Muslim-dominated Assembly constituency of Matia Mahal voted whole-heartedly for AAP candidate Ashutosh.
The AAP got 30,953 votes in the Assembly segment as compared to 15,453 votes going to BJP candidate Harsh Vardhan. This was the only Assembly constituency where Congress candidate Kapil Sibal (21,066) polled more votes than Harsh Vardhan.
In Okhla Assembly constituency, a Muslim-dominate Assembly segment of the East Delhi Lok Sabha seat, the AAP (62,666) got more votes that the BJP (39,914). The Lok Sabha seat was won by BJP’s Maheish Girri by defeating Rajmohan Gandhi of the AAP.
In the North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, the AAP’s firebrand Dalit leader Rakhi Birla, a former Delhi minister, trounced the BJP’s Udit Raj in three of Assembly constituencies having a sizeable Dalit population.
In Badli Assembly constituency, the AAP polled 51,293 votes and the BJP got 48,879. In Kirari Assembly constituency, the AAP got 67,377 votes as compared to 57,107 of the BJP. In Sultanpur Majra Assembly constituency, the AAP got 60,134 votes and the BJP polled 29,104 votes.
It was only in New Delhi and West Delhi Lok Sabha constituencies that the BJP candidates got more votes than their nearest AAP rival in all Assembly segments.