COUNTERING the AAP’s welfare agenda by announcing several schemes of its own and assuring the continuity of existing schemes in the Capital, the BJP’s next step in its poll strategy is to build trust that it will deliver on these “guarantees”.
During the final week of campaigning, sources say, the party will field its national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Monday to underline its commitment to deliver on its promises — monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for women beneficiaries, 50,000 government jobs, and 20 lakh employment and self-employment opportunities, among others.
The BJP, this time, has a two-pronged strategy. It reiterated that it would continue the existing welfare schemes introduced by AAP and promised new measures to improve AAP’s welfare agenda. Unlike last time, it avoided calling these welfare schemes ‘revdi’, which does not put them in a positive light.
While BJP feels AAP middle-class voters are disenchanted and have moved to its fold, it’s making every effort to target AAP’s core vote bank in JJ colonies and working-class neighbourhoods.
Party sources said the PM is likely to address a rally in Northeast Delhi, followed by one each in East and Southwest Delhi this week. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are also expected to campaign in Northeast Delhi.
The party also plans to go door-to-door to distribute its consolidated ‘Sankalp Patra’, or manifesto, containing its full list of promises. The manifesto was released in three installments by BJP national president J P Nadda, Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur and Shah over the last fortnight.
“The BJP’s campaign will gain more momentum in the coming week. Reaching out to voters — both to assure them that existing welfare schemes such as subsidised power and water will continue and that the BJP will deliver on initiatives like the Mahila Samridhi Yojana in Delhi just like it has in MP, Maharashtra and Odisha — will be a key element of our outreach till polling day,” said a senior BJP leader.
The BJP’s emphasis on communicating that existing schemes in the Capital, especially subsidies, will continue if it comes to power has gradually emerged as a significant poll plank for the party. “There is no shift in the party’s stance on continuing welfare schemes — we had said the same last time too — but the difference is in its effective communication. The AAP had resorted to the same trick, alleging that the BJP will shut down these initiatives in Delhi,” a party source said.
“In 2020 (Delhi Assembly), and to some extent in 2024 (Lok Sabha), it was relatively difficult to communicate (to voters) that this would not be the case. But this time, with the PM himself having made the announcement (of continuing existing welfare schemes) and the AAP having lost all credibility, the NDA’s candidates have been able to counter such propaganda more effectively,” a party source said.
Following its defeat in the 2020 Assembly polls, BJP insiders had acknowledged that this was one of the reasons for its loss.
This time, while addressing a public meeting in Rohini on January 5, Modi had made it a point to announce that the existing schemes benefitting the people of Delhi would remain in place if the BJP won the elections.
The party has been pitching the achievements of the Modi government at the Centre, its contribution to the development of infrastructure in Delhi, alongside the reiteration of the PM’s promise of retaining “jan kalyankari yojanas” or public welfare schemes in the city, according to some BJP candidates.
“As each part of the manifesto was announced by the senior leadership, we began distributing guarantee cards with a cross-section of promises which have connected with voters — such as the Mahila Samridhi Yojana and gas cylinders at Rs 500 — during door-to-door campaigning,” a BJP candidate said.
“Now, we will take the full Sankalp Patra to the people and drive home the point that the BJP only promises what it can fulfill, and that since it has made these promises, they will be fulfilled within the five-year term. Each candidate will act as the PM’s messenger and underscore his experience at keeping his word when it comes to guarantees,” the candidate said.
Launching the third and final installment of the BJP’s manifesto on Saturday, Shah had said: “The BJP’s culture is to work, whereas the AAP’s culture is to come to power by making promises, then say goodbye… A serious lie is being spread in Delhi: calls are coming to people claiming that the BJP will stop all schemes if it comes to power. I want to tell you today that PM Modi himself has said that none of the welfare schemes for the poor will be stopped, and all the promises will be fulfilled.”
Meanwhile, the BJP is also expected to release two more campaign songs this week.