BJP hopes for support from middle class voters

NEW DELHI: With the battle for Delhi heating up, BJP is banking on weaning away the middle-class voter from the Aam Aadmi Party camp to stump its main rival. While acknowledging that the middle class was swayed by Arvind Kejriwal's AAP and its ideas in the 2013 polls, BJP strategists feel the mood has swung back in its favour in the seven months of the Narendra Modi government.

With the PM as its ace campaigner, the party hopes the middle class will support BJP for a "stable government" after the 49-day AAP-Congress coalition fiasco.

"Last time there was a Kejriwal wave and yet, AAP managed to get only 28 seats with its best performance," said a senior BJP leader. "Then the middle class and youth went with AAP. This time around, the middle class is with us, as opposed to last time when it was with AAP," he claimed. Interestingly, BJP feels young voters may still prefer AAP. With the middle class constituting a big chunk of Delhi's urban voters, BJP's campaign seems to be designed especially to woo them to get the edge over Kejriwal.

While booth-level management by party workers is the main issue that BJP is stressing on to win the 70-seat assembly, the party's campaign line will focus on 15-years of misrule of the Congress and the 49 days of government led by AAP that ended in a "mess" and forced a second round of assembly elections.

Among the promises that BJP plans to make to Delhi, are assurances of 24-hour power and water supply and addressing security concerns that plague the city. BJP will also pledge to make Delhi the "best city in the world." The ruling party at the Centre is also hoping to cash in on the middle class-friendly budget that the Modi government presented last year, which ensured a low tax burden on the citizen.

To woo what has been seen as a traditional Congress vote bank, BJP's campaign will focus on "regularizing unauthorized colonies." It is also optimistic that central schemes like Jan Dhan Yojna will translate into votes.

With Delhi being an urban centre, BJP hopes to gain credibility from the Modi wave, which it feels has not waned. It also believes good governance and development agenda of the last seven months will pay rich dividends. That the economy has started looking up will also help the party at the hustings, feel BJP strategists.