Six takeaways from AAP’s victory in Delhi civic body election
From AAP's 'double engine' promise to Delhiites to the BJP's number skills, here is what the MCD poll results tell us
Following an election campaign fought hard by the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP, the former emerged victorious on Wednesday (December 7). Of the 250 seats in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), AAP won 134, against the BJP’s 104, bringing an end to the 15-year stranglehold of the saffron party on the civic body.
LIVE: Election results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh
While AAP got the victory it wanted, it did not make the kind of sweep it was hoping for. The BJP proved yet again that it is a hard contender. What do the results reflect? Here are six takeaways.
Approval for AAP: The results suggest that AAP has gained the approval of the electorate for the work it has done as the Delhi government. The party emerged victorious in the Punjab Assembly election earlier this year, and has made a small foray in Gujarat now. Where Delhi is concerned, the citizens are happy enough with the party to let it run the city corporation, too.
Health, education matter: Electricity supply, healthcare, water and schools remain significant concerns for the common man. The BJP`s nationalist pitch along with centralised administration turned on its head with Kejriwal making a pitch for “double engine” governance. The BJP is seen to have played an obstructionist role all through with poor governance of the municipalities.
BJP’s use of statistics: The BJP’s marginal increase in vote share demonstrates its management of numbers through massive planning with data and statistics. It performed well in wards it was initially weak in, and those that belong to the constituencies of AAP ministers. This suggests it has focused in a systematic manner on those wards and this has paid off.
Bigwigs didn’t matter: The massive roadshows and campaigning by party bigwigs did not turn things in the BJP’s favour. The party’s muscular rhetoric is a liability when people expect local accountability, while AAP’s apparent modesty becomes an asset.
Limited role for identity politics: In Purvanchal-dominated wards, it was a pretty mixed show, but this shows that identity alone cannot play a role in local body elections. Most people in these areas are migrants. They have settled in Delhi for better living conditions and not to assert their regional or local identities. Their votes reflect this sentiment.
Muslims distrust AAP: The fact that Muslims voted in large numbers for the Congress demonstrates their distrust of the AAP. This will also likely get reflected in AAP’s pitch for votes at the central level. While Muslims will not easily trust the AAP, this is, in fact, helping the party breach the Hindu vote bank of the BJP.
