Elections 2019: Congress and BJP Rely on Celebrities and Old Horses in Delhi

The electoral scenario in Delhi has become clearer, as all the three major political parties have declared their candidates for seven seats. After days of speculation, Congress has decided to field Ajay Maken from New Delhi against Meenakshi Lekhi, J P Agarwal against Union minister Harsh Vardhan in Chandni Chowk, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit against Manoj Tiwari in Northeast Delhi, Mahabal Mishra against Parvesh Verma from West Delhi, Arvinder Singh Lovely against Gautam Gambhir, Rajesh Lilothia against singer Hans Raj Hans from North West Delhi and Vijender Singh against Ramesh Bidhuri from South Delhi.

The lists of the candidates of both the parties exhibit a few peculiar similarities. Firstly, both the parties are trying to cash in on the popularity of celebrity candidates who have no real connection with their voters. Secondly, both the parties have relied on old horses, and thirdly, their insistence on balancing caste calculations in each constituency is palpable.

The saffron party's ticket distribution to the celebrity candidates Gautam Gambhir and Hans Raj Hans has already irked the voters of Delhi, who doubt whether they will be able to address the voters’ complaints and issues. Vipin Kumar, an electrician and a resident of Holambi Kalan said that the voters are feeling cheated. “Earlier, our constituency was represented by Udit Raj, who even did not bother to even pay us visit to understand our problems. I do not know if Hans Raj Hans – if elected – will take care of our problems,” he said.

Also read: Election News Digest: Congress Fields Sheila Dikshit from North-East Delhi

Residents of another VIP constituency – Northeast constituency, which is represented by popular Bhojpuri Singer Manoj Tiwari – maintain that he remained inaccessible during his tenure. Ritu, a resident of Mukundpur, said, "We have been pleading for the construction of a road besides Bhalswa lake so that we can travel smoothly to the National Highway. Our complaints are yet to be heard."

Similar complaints have been flagged by many Resident Welfare Associations formed by residents of unauthorised colonies who maintain that the regularisation remains a distant dream. The regularisation of unauthorised colonies had been a dominant issue in previous assembly elections. The residents argue that the Congress does not have anything significant to offer as it could not regularise the colonies. In absence of regularisation, the residents cannot even take a loan against the property. It has also emerged as an excuse for the civic authorities, currently ruled by BJP, to deny basic amenities to the residents of these colonies. NewsClick had earlier reported almost 34,000 thousands children had to sit on floor in absence of benches in schools run by North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Talking to NewsClick, senior journalist and political analyst Abhay Dubey argued that the celebrity candidates are advantageous for BJP, but it will not be a cakewalk. He said, “By fielding the celebrity candidates, the parties think they do not need to introduce their candidates to the voters. But given the strong cadre and groundwork done by the Aam Aadmi Party, it will be a daunting task for BJP to retain the seat."

Experts maintain that the reliance on old horses of both the parties clearly indicates dearth of fresh faces who have been also quite unpopular within their party ranks. One such example remains Meenakshi Lekhi against whom discontent was quite visible in the feedback session conducted by Nirmala Sitharaman in March this year. A repetition of old faces may not help Congress draw desired results. Arvinder Singh Lovely, who lost elections in 2015 despite being a four-time MLA, remains a serious concern. He will be facing Aam Aadmi Party's Aatishi, who has been credited for a complete overhaul of the education system in the national capital. The decision to field Lovely may also displease Muslim voters because of his recent association with the BJP. Lovely had joined the saffron party, resigned and returned to the grand old party, saying that he was ideologically a misfit.

The parties appear to be striving to encash the caste equations in their favour too. Congress has chosen former Chief minister Shiela Dixit against Manoj Tiwari – both Brahmin faces. Similarly, it has fielded party veteran J P Agarwal to take on Union minister Harsh Vardhan, a Bania face. Given the majority of traders, the insistence of both the parties on getting these votes becomes apparent. But pacifying the traders who have been anguished over the issue of sealing will not be easy. The anguish could not be extinguished even after the address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to traders in Talkatora Stadium on April 19. However, Dubey argues that merely being a caste candidate does not ensure win. He added, "Parties tend to field candidates based on their castes, but it does not guarantee victory." 

Also read: No to Alliance With Congress, AAP to Go Solo in Delhi