Arvind Kejriwal leads AAP to its second big win in Delhi assembly elections

Development push, consolidation of different vote banks and a sharp focus on local issues of ‘water, power and health’ helped AAP decisively defeat BJP and push Congress to political oblivion in a bitterlyfought battle. ET takes a look at the factors that led to Arvind Kejriwal’s second straight victory in Delhi:
CONSOLIDATING VOTE BANKS
After assuming power in 2015, Kejriwal and team started courting traditional Congress and BJP voters. The party actively won over small traders of Purani Dilli, farmers and working professionals like lawyers and doctors.

Kejriwal’s first major rally after winning in 2015 was in Mundka, the home turf of former BJP CM Sahib Singh Verma in rural Outer Delhi. The CM struck an instant chord with farmers as he announced compensation for damaged crops. His minister and Najafgarh MLA Kailash Gahlot worked extensively in rural areas in providing efficient bus services and opening vocational centres for skill training. Two months before the 2020 elections, Kejriwal’s Cabinet hiked circle rates for agricultural land.

From holding small nukkad meetings in market places to forming GST committees to handholding traders through the new taxation regime, Kejriwal took baby steps to successively but decisively wean away traders from BJP. Kejriwal courted lawyers through targeted Chief Minister’s Advocates’ Welfare scheme.

UNAUTHORISED COLONIES
In the run-up to elections, BJP government at the Centre made the big-ticket announcement for Delhi: Giving ownership rights to people living in unauthorised colonies, targeting 5 lakh voters. Kejriwal countered this with his track record on development works initiated over the past two years. On the ground, people were apprehensive of BJP’s move but AAP’s development initiatives coupled with free ‘water and power’ worked well with the electorate. Almost all the constituencies where unauthorised colonies are located — Palam, Bijwasan, Okhla, Sangam Vihar, Matiala — have been swept by AAP.


MUSLIM VOTES
As BJP ran a polarising campaign, Kejriwal stuck to showcasing his development agenda. While BJP’s campaign failed to polarise Hindu votes, it led to Muslims enblock backing AAP, with the party sweeping all 10 Muslim-dominated constituencies. Five constituencies with 40% or more Muslim voters — Ballimaran, Matia Mahal, Chandni Chowk, Okhla and Selampur — voted overwhelmingly for AAP. Five constituencies with 30-40% Muslim voters — Rithala, Shahdara, Seemapuri, Babarpur and Mustafabad — were also swept by AAP. Last time, BJP had won Mustafabad.

BRAND KEJRIWAL
What worked best for AAP was a Kejriwal-centric campaign. From an activist CM, Kejriwal effortlessly transformed into capital’s empathetic CM who wanted to take people along. He did not promise miracles but said he would work with people. The campaign began with seven town halls in each of the parliamentary constituencies. To prove water’s purity he even sipped tap water.

CONGRESS’ EPITAPH
Kejriwal has also written Congress’ epitaph in Delhi, a city the party ruled for 15 years. Congress has been rendered politically irrelevant as its former MLAs and Cabinet ministers polled less than 5% votes in their respective constituencies. Not a single party candidate was second in any constituency.