With merely two days remaining until campaigning concludes, the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) bypoll on November 30 has transformed into a critical political battle for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This electoral exercise is far from routine for the party, which is striving to regain its footing after suffering an electoral setback in the city during the assembly elections earlier this year.
A strong performance in this bypoll is seen internally as a vital step to rebuild confidence, stabilize party morale, and reconnect with its traditional support base before facing larger electoral challenges. The party has fielded candidates in all 12 wards that became vacant after their sitting councillors, including Chief Councillor Rekha Gupta, were elected as Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly.
Grassroots Campaigning and Key Issues
AAP is heavily relying on an intensive, ground-level campaign to energize its cadre and reach out directly to voters. This strategy includes a significant number of padyatras (foot marches), bike rallies, nukkad meetings (street corner gatherings), and a comprehensive door-to-door outreach.
The party's campaign messaging is squarely focused on issues that directly impact the daily lives of Delhi's residents. These include deteriorating sanitation, poor sewage management, irregular garbage collection, high pollution levels, and the unsatisfactory state of municipal healthcare services. AAP has consistently alleged that despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) controlling the Centre, the state, and the MCD, civic conditions in the capital have only worsened.
Leaders Amplify the Attack on BJP
Senior AAP leaders have been actively leading the charge on the campaign trail. The Leader of the Opposition in the assembly and former chief minister, Atishi, held a padyatra in Vinod Nagar and addressed public meetings in Sangam Vihar and Dakshinpuri on Wednesday.
She aggressively attacked the BJP government on fundamental issues like water supply, road conditions, and pollution. "Voters will respond to this in the upcoming MCD bypoll. It will reflect the growing public anger, which is already visible across the city," she claimed.
Echoing this sentiment, senior party functionary Gopal Rai, at public meetings in Ashok Vihar and Chandni Mahal on Tuesday, accused the BJP of "eight months of false promises and zero work." He specifically targeted the BJP's "bulldozer politics," pointing to the slum demolitions carried out in various parts of Delhi over the past eight months.
Bulldozer Politics and Electoral Consolidation
The issue of slum demolition has become a central talking point for AAP's campaign. Several party speakers are framing the electoral contest as a battle between "those who run bulldozers and those who stop them." This narrative is a clear attempt to consolidate support among jhuggi residents, migrant workers, and low-income neighbourhoods—demographics that have historically formed the backbone of AAP's support in previous electoral battles.
On the occasion of AAP's foundation day this Wednesday, national convener Arvind Kejriwal credited the party's volunteers for its journey and reiterated that AAP stands for "truth, honesty, and service to the nation."
However, the BJP has dismissed AAP's campaign efforts. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor stated, "AAP is spreading a false and misleading narrative and its leaders appear increasingly disconnected from reality. The party has lost most of its workers and grassroots leadership, and it no longer has any connection with the people. BJP is poised to win all 12 wards."
The outcome of this bypoll will be a significant indicator of the political mood in the national capital and could set the tone for the political dynamics leading up to future elections.
