How is Kejriwal fixing Delhi’s Dalit politics before 2025?
There are still more than two months left for the assembly elections in Delhi, the country’s capital, but the Aam Aadmi Party has started preparing the political board. On one hand, Arvind Kejriwal’s party is attracting voters through door-to-door campaigning. At the same time, the party does not want to spare any effort to resolve the caste equation.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s biggest focus is on Delhi’s Dalit voters. To achieve this, the party has taken two important decisions in the last two days. On Thursday, the AAP proposed Dalit leader Mahesh Khegi’s name for the mayor’s post. With the help of AAP councillors, he was also elected mayor of Delhi.
Here on Friday, Arvind Kejriwal wooed former Seema Puri MLA Veer Singh Dhingan to join his fold. Dhingan is considered a powerful Dalit leader of the Delhi Congress.
How strong is Dhingan in Delhi politics?
Veer Singh Dhingan, who was MLA from Seemapuri, was considered close to Sheila Dikshit. Dhingan, who started his political career through the MCD Employees Union, won the 1998, 2003 and 2008 assembly elections from the Seemapuri seat.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal wrote in a post that from 2001 to 2011 we used to fight against Dhingan in Seema Puri. The movement had started from there.
In the 2013 assembly elections, Dhingan was defeated by Dharamveer of the AAP. Dhingan’s star did not shine after this.
The vacuum was created by the departure of Anand and Gautam.
In the 2020 elections, the Aam Aadmi Party had two big faces as Dalits in Delhi. The first name among them was Rajendra Pal Gautam and the middle name was Rajkumar Anand. Both have been ministers in the Kejriwal government, but in 2024 both distanced themselves from the AAP.
With the departure of Gautam and RK Anand, a vacuum was created within the AAP with respect to Dalit leaders. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the party had tried to fill this vacancy with the help of Kuldeep Kumar, but could not get much success.
How important are Dalits in Delhi, 2 points?
1. 17 percent of the population in all of Delhi. The Dalit population in the national capital, Delhi, is about 17 per cent. South Delhi has the largest population of Dalits, around 30 per cent. Similarly, the Dalit population in East Delhi is about 27 per cent. There are 12 of the 27 tehsils of the capital Delhi where the Dalit population is more than 1 lakh.
According to 2011 data, the maximum population of Dalits in Saraswati Vihar is around 4 lakh 65 thousand. 1 lakh 75 thousand Dalits live in Seelampur and 1 lakh 60 thousand Dalits live in Seemapuri. These figures are said to have doubled in the last 14 years.
2. 12 seats reserved for Dalits. Of a total of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly, 12 are reserved for Dalits. The Aam Aadmi Party had won all 12 seats in the 2020 elections, but this time the situation has changed.
Compared to the AAP, the Congress is also eyeing Dalit voters this time. At the same time, the BJP has become stronger than before. According to CSDS, the BJP got 49 per cent of the Dalit votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
28 per cent Dalits voted for AAP and 20 per cent for Congress. The AAP does not want to make the same mistake as in the Lok Sabha elections.
Elections for 70 seats in Delhi in February
Elections to all 70 Delhi Assembly seats may be held in February 2025. The main contest in the assembly elections is between the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP. Congress is definitely trying to make the entire race triangular.
36 MLAs are needed to form the government in the national capital, Delhi. This time, the AAP is contesting in the face of Arvind Kejriwal. While the BJP is preparing to fight under collective leadership.
