The brightest spot for BJP in some recently released opinion polls on Delhi assembly elections is in East Delhi. This is why almost all BJP heavyweights have campaigned extensively in 'Jamuna Paar', the other side of river Yamuna, with enthusiasm.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and various union ministers have held public meetings in various pockets of East Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, campaigned here.
On Wednesday, union home minister Amit Shah also held a rally here in Kondli assembly constituency. He spent most of his time on two subjects – the anti-CAA and NRC protests and the announcement of Ram Mandir trust that was made by Prime Minister Modi earlier during the day in Parliament. He ended his speech with the same polarising speech that he had delivered four days ago in Babarpur.
Except this time, Amit Shah let the audience complete his slogan. "Kamal ke nisaan par button jaruur dabaana, magar itne gusse se dabaana ki button kondli mein dabe aur current... (Press the button next to lotus symbol, but with such a rage that while you press the button in Kondli, the current…)"
"Shaheen Bagh mein lage [Is felt in Shaheen Bagh]," the audience cheered.
An English-speaking BJP supporter who had come to listen to the home minister said the controversy and protests over CAA-NRC had decided his vote.
"We’ve seen what Congress has done, right? It is not about Hindu-Muslim. The people protesting against this don’t understand against what they are protesting. Why will they be in detention centres? Those things are for illegal immigrants. The government is bringing Hindus and Sikhs from other countries," Mrityunjay Awasthi, who works in an MNC, said.
When asked whether CAA-NRC issue was enough for him to decide which way his vote was cast on February 8, he said, "It shouldn't be. Jobs, state of education and healthcare should decide our votes ideally."
But was that the case with him? "Obviously not. Although I think AAP has done some good work but I think BJP has taken strong stance on national positions and this decided my vote."
Not everyone felt the same way. Harish Bhatt, a head priest at a temple in Chhattarpur, says the BJP shouldn't bring up national issues. Since these are local elections, BJP should talk about issues that affect people locally.
"If you talk about national issues tell me why Nirav Modi was able to amass crores and then flee? You wanted to talk about regularisation of unauthorised colonies then why don't you first finish the job and then talk? Even in the regularisation there are so many conditions that it's impossible to fulfil them. And as far as Shaheen Bagh is concerned, do they think people are mad? Do they think that people do not understand why just before elections they do this Hindu Muslim politics?" he asked.
He added that if BJP was against freebies why was it offering scooties to girl students? He said promises like distributing wheat flour for Rs 2 a kilo were unbelievable. "When the cost of grounding wheat is Rs 4/kilo how will BJP offer flour for Rs 2/kilo?"
A tobacco vendor sitting close to the place where the rally was being held, said that while the issues of roads and schools and temples seemed to be at the top of voters' minds, anything could happen in a day or two with BJP's attempts to polarise voters.
"Today is a very auspicious day. It is Ekadashi. Today Modiji has announced the trust that will build a grand Ram Temple. The road for the construction of Ram Temple has been paved now. Do you want a Ram Temple there? Yes or No?" Shah asked the audience which responded with a resounding yes.
AAP and BJP are the two main opponents in this reserved constituency. While Manoj Kumar, AAP's sitting MLA here, was denied a ticket and has since joined BJP against his former party, Rajkumar Dhillon the BJP candidate has little presence in the assembly constituency.
Arvind Kejriwal's roadshow two days earlier a few kilometres from here reportedly garnered a huge crowd, paling in comparison the crowds that were seen in BJP roadshows and rallies. Congress has this time fielded turncoat Amrish Singh Gautam, who left the party to move to BJP but returned to Congress after being denied ticket by the BJP.
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