Delhi assembly poll: In AAP-BJP contest, 'resurgent' Congress could be the 'spoiler'

Having faced embarrassment in the Assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra, the Congress is trying desperately to put up a respectable show in Delhi where the elections are due next month.

In both--Haryana and Maharashtra—the Congress hoped to win but the BJP somehow managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Delhi, however, presents a different picture.

Here the main fight is between the ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) and the Opposition BJP. The Congress, which failed to win any seat in the elections for Delhi assembly held in February 2020, has the image of a party that comes after AAP and BJP, which are the two major players in the elections here.

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’ 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.

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.

Interestingly, the BJP is talking about a "resurgent Congress" and hoping for a split between the Congress and the AAP so that the saffron party could benefit from the division.

To retain the Muslim votes on its side, the AAP has enlisted the support of Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.

Muslims across the country look up to Banerjee and Yadav as the leaders, who are “sensitive to Muslim sentiments”.