Chandni Chowk, Ballimaran, Okhla: Congress may upset AAP's prospects in 12 seats

The Congress, after a decade-long slump in Delhi politics, is gearing up to make a significant impact in the upcoming 2025 Vidhan Sabha elections. Having drawn a blank in both 2015 and 2020, the grand old party is now positioning itself as a formidable challenger to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), shifting its focus from the BJP to directly contest AAP's dominance.

This time, Congress could hurt AAP's prospects in at least 12 key constituencies, particularly those with substantial Muslim and Dalit populations. In these seats, including Seelampur, Matia Mahal, Ballimaran, Okhla, Chandni Chowk, Seemapuri, and Sultanpur Majra, the Congress is giving AAP a tough fight. The contest is especially intense in these constituencies as Congress, dormant for a decade, is strategically focused on 20–25 seats in Delhi, hoping to regain its traditional voter base.

Rahul Gandhi has been at the forefront, holding rallies in Dalit- and Muslim-dominated constituencies, with his first campaign rally in Seelampur, a seat with 57% Muslim voters. His 'Jai Bhim Jai Samvidhan' rally was not just an appeal to Muslim voters but also aimed at resonating with Dalits.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has intensified the party's attack on AAP, equating Arvind Kejriwal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Seemapuri. 

The Congress is also focusing on Scheduled Caste-reserved seats like Seemapuri and Sultanpur Majra, banking on anti-incumbency sentiments and allegations of corruption against AAP to sway voters. The party's presence is strong in peripheral seats such as Badli, Sultanpur Majra, Babarpur, and Mustafabad, where migrant laborers, Muslims, and Dalits form a significant portion of the electorate.

Since AAP's debut in Delhi's politics in 2013, the Congress has experienced a sharp decline in its vote share, dropping from 25% in 2013 to just 4.3% in 2020. Meanwhile, AAP's vote share surged past 50% in both 2015 and 2020. However, with the current political climate marked by anti-incumbency and controversies surrounding AAP, the Congress sees a window of opportunity to reclaim lost ground.

The high-voltage campaigning for Delhi Assembly polls will come to an end at 5 PM today (February 3).