New Delhi: Months before the Delhi elections, the Capital’s elected representatives and members of the local BJP unit are at odds with each other, ThePrint has learnt, with much of the disquiet emanating from lack of consultation between them over several matters.
Much of this anger, multiple party sources said, was directed at the functioning of the state unit. The cracks started surfaced, sources said, after a number of MPs and MLAs pointed out they were not being consulted by the state unit, headed by Virendraa Sachdeva.
ThePrint reached Sachdeva for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is recieved.
A Delhi BJP functionary said the state unit ignored party workers who helped MPs in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and instead invited many others to July’s extended executive meeting. “Many expected the state unit would also consult MPs as well as the MLAs on invitees. It’s all about a gesture. But they weren’t asked. These petty things leave a bad taste in the mouth.”
The executive meeting was held in July and attended by around 2,000-odd party workers.
The BJP was last in government in Delhi two decades ago, but leaders see the 2025 assembly polls as their “best chance” to stage a comeback with several claiming that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had lost its “sheen”.
“This is probably the weakest AAP has ever been with many of its leaders battling corruption charges and its chief minister still in the custody of CBI. This is probably our best chance of unseating AAP but our state unit itself is not in a good shape to achieve that,” said a senior BJP leader.
The angst is not limited to MPs. It is shared by some MLAs and councillors who too are also not happy with the overall functioning of the state unit. “Some leaders have told the central leadership that this could be detrimental for the party ahead of the key assembly elections,” said the functionary quoted earlier.
A third party source added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked MPs to meet people in their constituencies on a regular basis and “try to address their grievances and help them on priority”.
Adding, “The PM made it clear that MPs had to ensure a win in all Assembly segments under their Lok Sabha constituency. Naturally, this will happen if they play a key role in ticket distribution too. So far, they have not been kept in the loop… One can’t say what role they will play in the polls, if at all.”
Some functionaries also pointed out that multiple senior leaders have not got the “respect” they deserve. “In many functions, we see these leaders sit in the audience while the state president and others sit on the dais. This did not happen before. Honestly, these are petty issues, but they matter in a larger context,” said the senior BJP leader quoted above.
The state unit of the party is also struggling with another matter. The appointment of Bihar leader Santosh Ojha as chief of Delhi’s Purvanchal Morcha president has irked many party leaders in Uttar Pradesh since their leader Neeraj Tiwari was relieved from the post.
Another headache for the party is “way too many leaders staking claim to power”. For instance, a section in the party has urged the central leadership to project a chief ministerial face in order to counter Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Some key contenders in this context are former Union minister Smriti Irani, Lok Sabha MPs Bansuri Swaraj and Manoj Tiwari, state unit chief Sachdeva and two-term former MP Pravesh Verma.
“The issue is that the list of probables is also long: right from Smriti Irani to Bansuri Swaraj, Manoj Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Parvesh Verma, and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta … the party may even go for a completely fresh face,” said the functionary quoted above while pointing out that the final decision rests with the central leadership.
BJP had earlier nominated senior party leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi as its CM candidates in the 2008, 2013 and 2015 polls. In 2020, it decided not to go with a CM face, choosing to bank on “Brand Modi”.
“This is completely false. We are working together unitedly to counter AAP. Our state president is very experienced and he ensures that he consults all MPs and MLAs and every single worker of the party. The result will be in front of all to see as our membership drive will start next month,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Virender Babbar when asked for comment.
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Assembly run not as good as Lok Sabha
The BJP has had a successful run at the parliamentary level in Delhi, wresting all of the capital’s seven seats in 2014, 2019 and 2024. However, assembly results have been disappointing with the party currently accounting for just eight of the city’s 70 MLAs.
The AAP won 62 seats in the last elections held in February 2020.
Many also claim the state unit has not been able to set the narrative and often “falls in the AAP’s trap”. “Right from bijli, pani and sadak, nothing seems to be in good shape but rather than making it the main poll plank, the state unit only carries out a few demonstrations and holds press conferences. This will not do. We have to hit the ground running and expose the AAP government. We have Kejriwal in front of us to counter. We need to buckle up. The public is upset but we need to tell them what we can offer as a party,” a second BJP leader said.
A state functionary, however, countered the charges saying the AAP government was being given a run for its money and the question of neglecting MPs and MLAs did not arise as they have frontlined several press conferences. “This is pure propaganda which the AAP is trying to spread to break our unity but we stand as one,” he said.
Another functionary rubbished claims that Delhi BJP was in disarray, pointing out that Delhi held on to all seven seats despite the party losing its parliamentary majority. “This is a testimony to efforts made by the state unit. We have been working tirelessly and results are in front of all to see. We won all seats despite the tie-up between AAP and Congress.”
One of the functionaries quoted above said the state unit ignored party workers who helped MPs in the Lok Sabha elections but invited many others to July’s extended executive meeting. “Many expected the state unit would also consult MPs as well as the MLAs on invitees. It’s all about a gesture. But they weren’t asked. These petty things leave a bad taste in the mouth.”
The executive meeting was held in July and attended by around 2,000-odd party workers and took place after the Lok Sabha elections.
“We saw what happened in Rajinder Nagar (coaching institute). Again the kind of reaction that was required from the state unit was missing. We should have been out in the street raising the issue but we merely carry out symbolic protests. We should have highlighted the civic apathy and considering both Delhi and MCD are governed by AAP our reaction should have been more aggressive. We need to move beyond press conference politics,” said a Delhi BJP leader.
“The time is to ensure everyone stands united and we need to fight strongly. And state president has to ensure we all fight together unitedly and defeat AAP. In his tenure and under his leadership the 2025 elections will be fought so we need to concentrate on that,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Neeraj Tiwari.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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