Parties gear up for Rajinder Nagar bypoll
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Delhi unit has started the preparations for the Rajinder Nagar assembly bypoll—the seat fell vacant after sitting AAP MLA Raghav Chadha was elected as Rajya Sabha member last month—which is likely to be held in the next few months.
Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta on Sunday held a meeting with senior leaders and workers in the constituency to discuss the poll plan and issues in the area.
Gupta said, “We are all geared up for the bypoll. We have told booth-level workers to gear up. We plan to soon start door-todoor campaign against the AAP.”
With municipal polls, which were scheduled in April, deferred due to the merger of the three civic bodies, BJP leaders say, the bypoll is likely to be the only elections this year.
Last week, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta formed a fivemember team to oversee the preparations at the assembly and municipal ward level. BJP MLA Ajay Mahawar has been made the assembly incharge while former North Corporation Mayor Jai Prakash, former MLA Mahinder Nagpal and other senior leaders have been made ward in-charges.
A senior BJP functionary said, “All the in-charges have been told to start holding booth-level meetings. The Kejriwal government has failed to deliver on its promises and we will highlight all these issues.”
Jai Prakash said, “Irrespective of the fact when the by-election is announced, we have started the work on the ground to get people’s feedback. In the last seven years, the Kejriwal government has not delivered on its promise related to clean drinking water. The roads are in pathetic condition. We will raise these issues. We will also tell people about the achievements of the Modi government.”
The assembly constituency, which had a predominant mix of Punjabi people as well as the traders community voters, has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. The party won three consecutive elections from the seat between 1993 and 2003.
The party lost the constituency to the Congress’ Ramakant Goswami in 2008. BJP national spokesperson RP Singh won from Rajinder Nagar in 2013, but hasn’t secured it since then.
AAP’S Vijender Garg won in 2015 and Raghav Chadha sealed it in 2020.
The BJP is now making all efforts to wrest the seat. Earlier this month, BJP president JP Nadda along with senior party leaders took out a ‘Shobha Yatra’ marking the party’s foundation day celebrations.
Gupta said, “Though Raghav Chadha was the area MLA and Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman till recently, he has not done much work. People in the constituency don’t get clean drinking water and are facing water related issues. We will raise all these issues.”
After the Jahangirpuri incident, the BJP also plans to continue to target the AAP for providing support to illegal Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya in the city, said Gupta.
The AAP on Sunday held padyatras in all 272 municipal wards against what it termed BJP’S “blatant extortion”. AAP senior leader and Kalkaji MLA Atishi said, “BJP leaders are barging into people’s homes and extorting money from them saying they will demolish their houses and shops. We want to reinforce that all of AAP’S top leadership and MLAS are there to fight for Delhiites. We will not let BJP harass a single resident.”
She added, “Today, AAP staunchly opposes BJP’S shameless petty politics tainted with corruption, extortion, hooliganism, and misgovernance. We are hence organising padyatras across Delhi, bringing everyone together to come forward to rise against the BJP’S hate mongering and money minded schemes. Through these padyatras, we wish to send a message to all Delhiites that the Aam Aadmi Party and all its MLAS stand with them against BJP’S blatant extortion and demolition threats and its despicable bulldozer politics. There is no need for them to be afraid of BJP’S bullying and intimidation.”