BJP eyeing win in Delhi after 25 years

New Delhi, PTI: The BJP is making allout attempts to come back to power in Delhi after over 25 years focussing on its slogan "Parivartan" (change) and a targeted campaign against the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP over corruption allegations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 'Parivartan Rally' in Rohini last week made the party's intentions clear giving the call "Aapda (AAP) nahi sahenge, badal kar rahenge" (won't tolerate the disaster (AAP), will bring change").

With strong organisational presence up to booth level in all 70 assembly segments BJP held thousands of small reach-out meetings with targeted groups and communities paying focus on slums and unauthorised colonies months ahead of polls. BJP has carried on a sustained campaign for change in public perception by highlighting corruption issues like "Sheesh Mahal" and liquor scam" that forced Arvind Kejriwal to step down as Delhi chief minister. It has effectively raising civic issues like water scarcity, supply of polluted water, air pollution, waterlogging during rains, damaged roads, poor public bus transport.

With a general antiincumbency against the AAP ruling in Delhi since 2015, especially against its MLAs, BJP sought to take advantage of this weak point of the AAP issuing 'charge sheets' that listed failures of its MLAs in various constituencies.The BJP managed to retain all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi for the third time in a row, in the parliamentary polls held last May. The BJP candidates also got more votes than those of AAP in 52 out of 70 assembly segments divided among seven Lok Sabha seats.

Despite of some strong points, BJP has been unable to project a local leader to challenge Kejriwal as chief ministerial candidate. The party has announced only 29 candidates so far and 41 others are yet to be declared although the polls will be held on February 5.The BJP has so far failed to come up with announcements to tackle AAP's poll promises.