Pitching `vikas', BJP to snipe at AAP

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Ramlila Maidan has set the tone for the upcoming assembly elections. While `vikas' or development will be central to BJP's poll agenda, it has declared an all-out war on Aam Aadmi Party , its principal challenger in Delhi. With its own government at the Centre announcing a series of development projects and welfare schemes and Modi as the face of the party, BJP is hopeful of staging a comeback in the state after a gap of 16 years.
In its election campaign, the BJP will largely focus on the steps taken by its government at the Centre for Delhi, but it will also expose AAP . “It is important to expose the lies of AAP . They lied on the issue of VAT. Like we exposed them on the VAT issue, we will expose all their lies,'' said Satish Upadhyay , Delhi BJP chief. In its radio campaign, the party is attacking AAP for misleading the people of Delhi. This is important for the party as it is hoping to make a dent in AAP's vote bank -slums and unauthorized colonies.

Though the party has managed to win back the support of the middle class, which had drifted to AAP during the last assembly elections, it is making efforts for further inroads.The central government's recent announcement regarding regularization of unauthorized colonies, BJP members say , will help the party get support in areas like Sangam Vi har, Mangolpuri, Shakur Basti, etc which have a high percentage of unauthorized colonies. But whether this will go in favour of the party remains to be seen as Congress came to power making similar promises in 2008. BJP has started a special campaign in these areas.

This is also related to its renewed efforts to woo the un derdog. Modi's showcasing of the bank accounts opened by the poor and his promise of housing shows a realization that this section is not going to ditch AAP in a hurry and a relentless campaign is needed to make a dent.

It has to also protect its other pillars of support like the traders whom AAP has been trying to woo. The decision to target AAP on the VAT issue was an attempt to prevent its trader vote bank from going to AAP .

However, this is the first time the party is contesting elections without a chief ministerial nominee. This has given AAP an opportunity to attack the party . It tried to portray the contest as one between Arvind Kejriwal and Janakpuri MLA Jagdish Mukhi, but after the Ramlila Maidan rally, it's clear that Modi is the challenge.

Candidate selection remains a problem. With a relatively new and young state team, the party is planning to field new faces. But with all MLAs asking for a ticket, as they won when the AAP factor was strong, BJP needs to take some tough decisions. Sources say it is thinking of not fielding candidates who lost by 5000 or more votes. As for MLAs, not all are likely to get a ticket.The party will also have to manage the infighting in the party once the tickets are announced.

The party also has to decide whether to contest all seats on its own symbol or let SAD (Badal) contest four seats on that party's symbol.