The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released a hefty list of 195 candidates for the Parliamentary elections, including nominees for five of Delhi's seven constituencies. The party has fielded new contenders in four of these five seats. Except for Manoj Tiwari from the North East Delhi constituency, the party has not repeated any winning faces from the 2019 elections. Prominent figures like Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, Ramesh Bidhuri, Pravesh Singh Verma, and Dr. Harsh Vardhan have failed to retain their tickets.
Speculation is rife following the BJP's list release. The denial of tickets to leaders such as Meenakshi Lekhi, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri, and Pravesh Singh Verma has sparked debates, with some attributing it to controversial statements and others to performance issues. Questions are being raised about the underlying strategy in these significant omissions, especially given BJP's typical political model.
Pollster Amitabh Tiwari observes that the BJP's candidate list for Delhi seems to be setting the stage for the upcoming state assembly elections. The Delhi BJP unit is aggressively campaigning against the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, but without significant local leadership, they seem to be lacking impact. A strong figure to counter Kejriwal in Delhi is seemingly absent. With the recent allegations of a liquor scam and other issues tarnishing the AAP's reputation, the BJP is expected to steer their strategy to capitalize on these developments, but this requires the presence of a formidable local leader.
With roughly a year left before the Delhi elections, the BJP's proactive approach shows signs of a preparation-focused mindset, irrespective of the election timeline. The AAP is currently holding a strong government with consecutive wins, yet BJP sees a possible end to their decade-long drought of power in Delhi, bolstered by anti-incumbency sentiment and the alleged corruption surrounding AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is also under the ED's scrutiny, and there is a belief within the BJP leadership that a strong local leadership could potentially displace the AAP from power. The BJP is known for frequently rotating its leaders between central and state politics, which raises further questions about the strategy behind BJP's recent ticket cuts, including heavyweights like Harsh Vardhan.
The RLD spokesperson, Rohit Agarwal, linked Meenakshi Lekhi's ticket cut to what they called an insult to farmers, in reference to Lekhi's comments on the 'Kisan Sansad'. She had referred to some individuals involved in an alleged attack on a journalist as 'hooligans,' a statement she later withdrew after a controversy stirred. Similarly, controversial remarks by Ramesh Bidhuri led to his ticket cut, and Pravesh Singh Verma's ticket denial has been attributed to alleged hate speech during the Delhi riots. However, these discussions seem tenuous, as the party had assigned Bidhuri a prominent role during the Rajasthan elections amidst the political storm stemming from his remarks.
Ramesh Bidhuri, who hails from the Gujjar community, represents a constituency with a sizeable Gujjar population. Despite his penchant for contentious statements, he is regarded as having a strong foothold in the community. Should the BJP consider fielding these leaders in the upcoming state elections, the move would undoubtedly send a clear message to the electorate. Introducing heavyweight leaders and parliamentarians into state elections has proven successful in recent polls.
