Delhi Assembly Election 2020: BJP thrashes out seat-sharing arrangement with JD(U), SAD

Discussions over the seat-sharing arrangement between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its trusted ally the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and partner in the Bihar government Janata Dal (United) were on till late Sunday night. Senior BJP leaders said the candidates to contest the remaining 13 seats, including New Delhi Assembly constituency represented by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, were also discussed.

Senior party leaders said that the JD(U), which has contested all previous Assembly and municipal elections in the national capital independently, is planning to contest the February 8 Delhi elections in alliance with the BJP.

According to senior BJP leaders, the JD (U) had demanded four assembly seats, just like the SAD, which has fought all elections in Delhi in alliance with the BJP.

“But a final decision is yet to be taken. The party might give them one seat, as they are our ally in Bihar. If this works out, it will be the first time the BJP will be contesting the elections with two allies in Delhi,” said a senior BJP leader.

According to many in the party, an alliance with the JD(U) will help the BJP woo voters from the Purvanchali community, which the BJP is going all out to win over. The centre’s decision to confer ownership rights to unauthorised colonies is also aimed at garnering the support of the community as a large percentage of the group lives in these colonies. Unauthorised colonies had played a crucial role in the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) victory in the 2015 assembly elections, in which it won 67 of 70 seats.

The Akalis, who had contested four seats in 2015, have demanded tickets from the same Assembly segments. However the BJP, senior party leaders say, is insistent on giving them three seats. A senior Akali leader said they will contest on four seats.

The party is yet to announce candidates for Burari, Nangloi Jat, Delhi Cantonment, Kasturba Nagar, Sangam Vihar and Seemapuri. Senior BJP leaders said the party has decided to give four constituencies — Rajouri Garden, Hari Nagar, Shahdara and Kalkaji — to the SAD.

The party’s first list, of 57 candidates, didn’t have names of any senior party leaders, except for Vijender Gupta, the leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly and MLA from Rohini.

The party’s decision to withhold the names of candidates from two assembly constituencies — New Delhi [represented by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal] and Krishna Nagar [a BJP stronghold represented by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan in the past] — has fuelled speculation regarding the BJP’s chief ministerial face.

Party insiders said the BJP is looking for a strong candidate who can give a “tough fight” to the incumbent CM. In 2013, the party had fielded Gupta against Kejriwal and Congress’ Sheila Dikhshit. In 2015, the then Delhi BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma had contested against, Kejriwal but she lost the election by 31,583 votes.