NDA parties set to make joint push in final stretch in Delhi polls

With just days to go before the Delhi election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is making a final push, presenting a united front with leaders from various allied parties joining forces to intensify outreach across the city, according to people aware of the details.

At a meeting of NDA lawmakers on Friday, chaired by BJP president JP Nadda, the message was clear: every effort must be made to maximise voter engagement in the final stretch.

“It was already decided that NDA partners would campaign across all 70 constituencies, even though only one candidate each from the Janata Dal United (JDU) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is contesting,” said a lawmaker privy to the discussions. “On Friday, the party president reiterated that no stone should be left unturned with just four days left for polling.”

While Nadda himself is set to campaign in Burari and Deoli — the two constituencies allocated to the JDU and LJP — senior leaders from these parties, along with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), will cover other constituencies, the people cited above said. Jana Sena’s Pawan Kalyan is also expected to canvass said leaders aware of the details.

“Delhi has a diverse electorate. There are various linguistic groups from different parts of the country, and it is imperative that the NDA reaches out to all of them,” said a BJP functionary. “We have leaders from Bihar, including JD(U)’s working president Sanjay Jha, focusing on Purvanchali-dominated areas. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu will also join the campaign,” said the functionary, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The BJP has also intensified its campaign and outreach efforts among voters from southern states after an internal survey suggested the opposition has an edge among this demographic, estimated at around 2–2.5 million, according to a second party functionary.

“We have redoubled efforts to reach out to Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada-speaking voters. There seems to be a disconnect that we are hopeful of overcoming,” the second functionary said.

The NDA’s final push is also aimed at drawing a contrast between what senior leadership have termed a “united NDA” and an opposition alliance in “disarray.”

“The INDIA bloc has failed to put up a joint front. The Trinamool Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have openly supported the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the Congress. This reflects the fractures within their alliance,” said the lawmaker.

NDA lawmakers, the leaders said, have all been assigned specific constituencies, and have also been told to emphasise to voter a “charge sheet of scams and irregularities of the Aam Aadmi Party government”.

At Friday’s meeting, Nadda reportedly emphasised that with both the BJP and AAP locked in a close contest in over two dozen seats, no effort should be spared to tip the scales in the BJP’s favour.

He also urged leaders to keep highlighting AAP’s alleged overspending on the Delhi chief minister’s official residence, dubbed the “Sheesh Mahal,” in an effort to turn public anger into votes.

“There is palpable discontent on the ground among the middle class, who feel let down by the AAP,” said the second party functionary quoted above. “This is where the BJP has an advantage, as its development-oriented politics appeals to these voters.”

The party is also hopeful of having dented the AAP’s hold over slum and JJ cluster voters, where it has strengthened its booth presence. Traditionally strong backers of the AAP, the BJP is hoping to make inroads in this critical vote bloc.

“We have explained the benefits of central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and emphasised how a ‘double-engine’ government—one with the same party in power at both state and center—would be better positioned to fulfill promises, especially those requiring significant financial backing,” the functionary added.

Key NDA leaders are also focussing their attention in the Capital with hours left before campaigning ends.

LJP chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan campaigned in Delhi on Friday, while Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena is also expected to canvass in the coming days. The Shiv Sena has not fielded a candidate but has formally extended its support to the BJP through a letter to Nadda.