Ahead of Delhi elections scheduled for February 5, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is all set to kick-start his party’s campaign with a rally in Seelampur, northeast Delhi, on January 13.
The rally, themed “Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan,” is strategically planned to send a strong message to AAP and BJP rivals, signaling that the Congress wants to regain its lost ground in the national capital.
The rally, scheduled for 5:30 pm, marks Gandhi’s first campaign appearance in Delhi this election cycle. Congress’s
Kickstart from Seelampur constituency
Seelampur, a constituency with a significant Muslim population, has been a Congress bastion in the past. However, the defection of Mateen Ahmad, a five-time MLA from the area, to AAP has dealt a blow to the party. Ahmad’s departure underscores the challenges Congress faces in reclaiming its support among Delhi’s 12% Muslim electorate, a critical voting bloc across 22 constituencies.
Congress To Compete To regain dominance
Congress Delhi in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin stated that Gandhi has become “the voice of the people,” emphasizing his role in raising public issues and his commitment to marginalized communities, including Dalits, minorities, OBCs, and Adivasis.
The Congress, once the dominant force in Delhi politics under Sheila Dikshit in the past, has failed to regain significance since its decimation in the 2015 and 2020 elections.
Congress is now in the competition with an intent to reclaim its legacy and fight for its survival in a city it once ruled for 15 years.
AAP Goes Solo, Congress Left In Isolation
The rally is aimed at challenging AAP’s growing influence among Dalits, who constitute around 17% of Delhi’s voters and have largely shifted their allegiance to AAP since 2013.
AAP has claimed to go solo in Delhi polls leaving Congress in isolation.INDIA bloc constituents Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party, and the Trinamool Congress have also asserted that they were backing AAP for Delhi polls.
The Delhi Assembly elections, on February 5, will go to the hustings for all 70 seats. The incumbent AAP, that won 62 seats in the 2020 election, looks to defend its fortress against BJP and Congress.
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