BJP wishes for better Cong performance to edge out AAP

Faced with a stiff challenge from Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), BJP has pinned its hopes on Congress repeating its performance of the Lok Sabha elections in the upcoming assembly elections.

In 2015, the BJP was reduced to just three seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, while AAP had swept the elections by winning the remaining 67 seats, pushing the Congress out of the House where it had dominated for 15 long years.

Though Chief Minister Kejriwal is banking on a slew of freebies doled out by his government and initiatives in the education and healthcare sector for an encore of its 2015 performance, the BJP secretly is praying for Congress to perform better and eat into the AAP voter base help it gain an upper hand in the national capital.

A senior BJP functionary noted that the saffron party had garnered 56% vote share in the Lok Sabha elections last year winning all the seven parliamentary seats with massive margins. Interestingly, the Congress had come a distant second bagging 22.5% votes and AAP was relegated to the third position with 18.1% votes.

Analysts pointed out that voter preferences were known to differ in state and national elections and the Delhi assembly polls could be no different.

AAP, BJP and Congress have entered the campaign mode and have been on an announcement spree to woo the voters before the Election Commission declares the election schedule.

AAP is banking on its decisions to offer free electricity and free water, besides free bus rides to women passengers. It also is hoping to cash in on the initiatives to reform school education and healthcare services.

The Modi government passed a law in Parliament last month regularising illegal colonies in the national capital, a decision that is expected to benefit 40 lakh residents of 1731 unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

On Tuesday, Congress appointed six election-related panels for the Delhi assembly polls with its latest import from the BJP – Kirti Azad being handed over the charge of the campaign committee.