Cong, AAP try to woo Muslim voters, BJP banking on vote split

Facing a challenge from the Congress party in the Muslim-dominated constituencies of Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is hoping that support from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) will help it strengthen its rapport with the Muslim voters of Delhi.

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However, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who has a reputation of being a sworn enemy of Mamata Banerjee, has said enlisting the TMC chief’s support would not help the AAP secure votes from Bengalis living in Delhi who are well aware of the TMC’s tyrannical rule in West Bengal.

However, Bengali voters residing in Delhi may be the last thing in the mind of Kejriwal when he flaunted the support extended to him by Banerjee.

Notably, in the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) elections in 2022, despite holding key constituencies like Okhla, AAP lost ground in many areas where it had previously been dominant.

The Congress party’s engagement with Muslim issues helped it secure victories in several key wards, including areas like Abul Fazal Enclave, Mustafabad, Brijpuri, and Shastri Park.

This time, the Congress is focusing on the Muslim dominated seats, which it hopes to win and improve on its tally of zero seats in the last two Assembly polls in Delhi.

Some of the Muslim majority seats in Delhi are Chandni Chowk, Matia Mahal, Babarpur, Seelampur, Okhla, Ballimaran and Mustafabad.

Among these, Babarpur and Mustafabad Assembly segments have been held by the BJP in the past owing to split in the Muslim votes between the Congress and the AAP.

Modi admirers are hoping for a split in the anti-BJP votes once again so that the saffron party could benefit from the division.

Muslims across the country look up to Banerjee and Yadav as leaders who are sensitive to Muslim sentiments. Support by Banerjee and Yadav is expected to help Kejriwal in consolidating his Muslim support base.