No one can deny AAP is National political party now says the party’s Media Co coordinator for Vidarbha Bhushan Dhakulkar who is based in Nagpur.
He was in Delhi from 30th till polling day as a volunteer in booth management.
” I have been going to Delhi often but this time the atmosphere was very tense and hate loaded.
The kind of vitriolic that was spewing from Central Ministers and senior leaders of BJP was scary. People were quiet. No one was willing to speak up. ”
In important constituencies like Patpadganj from where Manish Sisodia, Dy C.M. was contesting, men in saffron caps were everywhere. Even on polling day!
“Jai Shri Ram! Hindu Khatarein me hai” they would softly mutter to anyone they came across. This increased exponentially after Sisodia spoke up about Shaheen Bag.
They almost succeeded. From a winning margin of 30,000 in 2015, Sisodia won by a mere 3000 in 2020!! Everyone was waiting with baited breaths till his result came in. All celebrations began after that.
” The question troubles me today ‘ where did 27,000 voters go? Why did they turn?’ Was it because Delhi has seen a surge of migrants from Purvanchal * people from UP, Bihar and Zharkhand, whom BJP has wooed assiduously with leaders like Manoj Tiwari? Why is he so important in their scheme of things?”
Bhushan agrees that BJP’s vote share has gone up by 8% while AAP’s has decreased by 1%. But apparently, traditional Congress supporters have thrown their weight age towards AAP. Congress vote share decreased from 9% to 4%, the ‘ missing’ 5% going to AAP.
Does this mean that even if today an AAP has won Delhi handsomely, the Hate agenda has been defeated? Clearly not. Else BJP tally wouldn’t have gone up from 3 to 8 and their vote share increased 8%.
This trend will have to be fought consciously and with great planning says the young AAP leader.
” In a way we cannot deny Congress hand in our victory. Congress, I feel, specially Soniaji is very aware of the pitfalls ahead and the dangers of polarization facing the nation.”
Credit must also go to people of Delhi who refused to get provoked. Despite the misreporting of Shaheen Bag as Tukde tukde gang, despite student bodies of JNU, Jamia Milia blamed as ” pro Pakistan ” saboteurs, people did not fall prey to the ‘ brainwashing’.
” Delhiites kept their cool even after the shooting incident at Shaheenbag a week before elections. We knew then that Delhi, in a silent, unspoken way was still with us!”
As told to Sunita Mudaliar Executive Editor
