AAP lost a big face to BJP but has gained in Delhi defection race — at Congress’s expense

At the time, the Congress had fixed enactment to the AAP, and Arvind Kejriwal went connected to go Chief Minister. However, helium resigned 49 days aboriginal aft failing to array the anti-corruption Jan Lokpal Bill successful the Delhi Assembly.

In the 2015 Assembly polls that followed, the Congress failed to triumph a azygous spot and has since struggled to enactment relevant. The enactment could not triumph a spot adjacent successful the 2020 Assembly polls. Internally too, the Congress has faced a enactment vacuum successful Delhi, failing to regenerate erstwhile CM Sheila Dixit.

At the moment, the conflict successful Delhi has astir go bipolar betwixt the AAP and the BJP.

The defections from the Delhi Congress to the AAP began successful October, erstwhile Zubair Chaudhary, a Congress territory president considered to person important power successful Delhi’s Babarpur area, joined the AAP on with his woman and MCD councillor Shagufta Chaudhary. Shortly after, Zubair’s father, Mateen Chaudhary, a seasoned Congress person and five-time MLA, besides switched sides.

Since then, the defections person continued. Veer Singh Dhingan, a three-time Congress MLA from Seemapuri, joined the AAP connected November 14. More recently, connected November 19, Sumesh Shokeen, a erstwhile MLA and four-time campaigner from Matiala, joined the ruling party.

Dhingan was Seemapuri MLA consecutively betwixt 1998 to 2013 but faced successive defeats to AAP successful caller years, securing lone 8.4% of the ballot successful 2015 and 5.7% successful 2020. Meanwhile, Shokeen, who won Matiala successful 2008, has struggled since, finishing 3rd successful consequent elections.

Despite their caller losses, the AAP believes these leaders inactive person a basal successful their respective areas and has said it volition springiness them tickets from their respective aged seats. Chaudhary is expected to regenerate AAP sitting MLA Abdul Rehman successful Seelampur, portion Dhingan volition contention from Seemapuri, replacing Rituraj Govind. Shokeen volition contention from Matiala, successful the spot of Gulab Singh Yadav, the AAP announced connected Thursday.

“We person enactment speech our differences (these erstwhile Congress MLAs) and recognised that voters successful these constituencies person begun to presumption these erstwhile MLAs much favourably than our existent ones. Voters often reminisce astir however the erstwhile MLA was much effective, which is wherefore these caller joiners are apt to beryllium our picks for these seats,” said a elder AAP leader.

But Congress leaders downplayed the interaction of these exits.

“Once we are connected the ground, it becomes wide who holds sway successful a constituency,,” said Anil Bharadwaj, the caput of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee’s (DPCC) connection wing.

DPCC main Devender Yadav described the defections arsenic opportunistic. “This is the play of defections. Earlier, the BJP bought leaders it accused of being corrupt. Now, AAP, which utilized to criticise the BJP’s practices, is doing the same. These individuals felt insecure astir their positions and were easy swayed,” helium said.

Sandeep Dikshit, a erstwhile Congress MP, said 1 of Kejriwal’s large planks was the allegations of corruption against Congress MLAs specified arsenic Dhingan and Shokeen.

“I powerfully judge that determination is nary lawsuit (against Dhingan and Shokeen) but helium accused them of links with the ration and onshore mafias. Now, helium is praising them for their improvement enactment portion inducting them … The voters cannot beryllium fooled.”

In an effort to energise its cadre, the Congress has besides undertaken a yatra successful Delhi on the lines of elder Congress person Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. It is presently underway successful each 70 Assembly constituencies.