Delhi Assembly Elections 2015: Is Bharatiya Janata Party not confident of winning?

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all geared up for the Delhi Assembly Elections 2015, scheduled to be held on February 7. But a sense of fear can be seen within the party. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, who was Delhi chief minister for a while before he resigned, is leaving no stone unturned to get back the national capital throne. 

Once again, BJP has direct competition from AAP and the saffron party knows that the new political outfit cannot be taken lightly. In the Delhi Assembly Elections 2013, the BJP could not form the government despite being the largest party, mainly because of the emergence of AAP. (Also Read: Delhi Assembly Elections 2015 likely in February: Bharatiya Janata Party, Aam Aadmi Party and Congress gear up for polls)

Here are some reasons why we feel the BJP is not confident of winning in Delhi:

BJP’s frustration: In the Sultanpur rally of Arvind Kejriwal, eggs and stones were allegedly thrown at the AAP leader by a BJP worker. Earlier, BJP workers indulged in a fight with AAP volunteers during a TV news debate. An AAP candidate’s car was also set on fire during the clash. These incidents show the frustration and sense of nervousness within the state BJP unit.

Wooing voters: In order to woo the government employees of Delhi Administration Subordinate Services, the BJP-led central government has approved the proposal of revising pay scales. The decision was taken just hours before the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule for Delhi Assembly Elections 2015. Recently, the Union Cabinet also announced the regularising of unauthorised colonies in Delhi. The timing of the two decisions clearly shows the desperation of the BJP to win Delhi at any cost.

Narenrda Modi vs Arvind Kejriwal: The Delhi Assembly Elections 2015 is a different battlefield from the recently held state assembly elections of various Indian states, where the opposition parties had no leader to compete with the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is the face of BJP everywhere. But in the Delhi polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has enough calibre to present himself as an alternative to Narendra Modi’s charisma as his party’s face.

No CM candidate from the BJP yet: In addition to the above issues, is the problem that BJP doesn’t have a face to project for the top job in Delhi. Whereas both the Indian National Congress (INC) and AAP have made their chief ministerial candidate clear. Moreover, the AAP now has good organisational hold in Delhi that may ruin the BJP’s plan to win over the national capital.

The BJP appears to be wilting under pressure and seems not confident enough for a clear majority in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2015. Will the AAP become the reason of a hung assembly once again? Or will the BJP get a clear majority thanks to the Modi-magic? The people’s mandate will be revealed on February 10, 2015.