BJP trying to make inroads into jhuggis to counter AAP in Delhi polls

Estimates suggest that around 3 million people live in Delhi’s 750 slums, with half of them registered voters

For the past few months, Delhi’s slums have been at the heart of a quiet, but steady outreach by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – marked by visits and overnight stays – in the city’s sprawling jhuggis, aiming to woo a voter base that has long been a stronghold of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva during his visit at Nehru Camp, Vinod Nagar on November 26. (HT Photo)

With assembly elections looming, the BJP is making a push to penetrate this key demographic, which could determine the outcome in 20 of Delhi’s 70 assembly constituencies.

Estimates suggest that around 3 million people live in Delhi’s 750 slums, with half of them registered voters — a tenth of the city’s total voter base of around 15 million.

The assembly constituencies with big base of slum voters are Narela, Adarsh Nagar, Wazirpur, Model Town, Rajendra Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Badarpur, Tughlakabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Seemapuri, Babarppur, Trilokpuri, Kondli, Okhla, Moti Nagar, Madipur, Shalimar Bagh, Matiala and Kirari.

Traditionally, this group has overwhelmingly supported the AAP, thanks to the party’s welfare schemes, including free electricity, bus rides for women, subsidised health care, and improved sanitation. Yet, the BJP is attempting to upend this dynamic by spotlighting unaddressed grievances and positioning itself as a solution-driven alternative.

BJP’s ‘jhuggi vistar’The BJP has been running what it calls the “jhuggi vistar” (slum outreach expansion) programme. Under the campaign, the BJP has sent leaders into the slums weekly, engaging with residents to address issues such as water supply, sanitation, and ration card distribution. Night stays have become a symbolic gesture of solidarity, with party leaders, including MPs and top functionaries, spending time with slum-dwellers to understand their struggles firsthand.

This, they feel, will help the BJP counter the influence of the AAP, which has established a stronghold in slums.

On November 26, top Delhi BJP leaders including the seven MPs visited 250 separate jhuggis in their respective areas during which they met jhuggi cluster heads and other residents. The next such night stay is planned on Sunday when leaders will camp at 1,000 locations across Delhi’s 800 jhuggis.

Delhi BJP general secretary, and in-charge of party’s jhuggi outreach, Vishnu Mittal said the party has so far connected with around 500,000 voters in jhuggis, and before election the target is to connect with 1.5 million voters. “Around 1,000 polling booths in Delhi are located in jhuggis… We are getting a very positive response from residents,” said Mittal.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, BJP MP from North East Delhi Manoj Tiwari and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, are among those leading the charge.

“Residents have told us how they’ve been neglected by the AAP government. They lack basic facilities like water, toilets, and proper housing. Many are unable to access free treatment because the Kejriwal government hasn’t implemented Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Delhi,” said Gupta.

“They supported the AAP in 2015 and 2020 elections with the hope that Arvind Kejriwal will provide them necessary facilities. In 2025, they plan to vote BJP and throw out the AAP,” Gupta claimed.

The AAP dismissed the BJP’s efforts as insincere, labelling it a “two-faced serpent” that courts slum dwellers while facilitating the demolition of their homes elsewhere.

The BJP’s pitch also includes promises of transformative change. Bidhuri, who chairs the BJP’s manifesto committee, said the party will incorporate slum residents’ feedback into its election platform. “We’ll ensure pucca houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, provide tap water connections, construct adequate toilets, and deliver free treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojana. When the BJP makes promises, we fulfil them,” he declared.

The BJP has also sought to address unemployment in slums.

In the past few months, party workers have collected forms from 4,500 unemployed residents and plan to organize a “Rozgaar Mela” on December 23. The event, to be held at Talkatora Stadium, will feature companies offering job opportunities to slum dwellers. “Unemployment is a major issue in these areas. We’re ensuring that people don’t just hear promises but see action,” said Delhi BJP general secretary Vishnu Mittal.

Varying approachesThis direct outreach contrasts with the AAP’s entrenched appeal among slum voters.

The Kejriwal government has consistently highlighted its track record of providing free amenities and opportunities for economic mobility.

“Arvind Kejriwal gave up his prestigious IRS career and served in Delhi’s jhuggis. He has transformed the lives of ‘jhuggi’ dwellers with quality education, healthcare, free pilgrimage for seniors, free bus rides for women, and 24x7 electricity – for free. Under the Kejriwal model of governance, children of jhuggi dwellers are breaking barriers—earning seats in IITs, becoming officers, doctors, and lawyers,” said AAP in the statement on Friday.

Political experts view the BJP’s outreach as a calculated move to capitalise on dissatisfaction, if any, with the AAP.

“By staying in slums overnight, the BJP leaders want to present themselves as genuine advocates for the community’s problems. Jhuggis often lack the infrastructure and welfare access that planned neighbourhoods have. BJP’s night stays are a strategy to showcase their commitment to these communities. However, given the AAP’s entrenched welfare programmes, shifting loyalties will take more than overnight gestures,” said Tanvir Aeijaz, a political science professor at Ramjas College.

To be sure, the BJP faces a formidable challenge. In the 2020 assembly elections, the AAP won 62 of Delhi’s 70 seats, while the BJP secured just eight. The BJP has been out of power in Delhi since 1998. As the 2025 elections approach, it is deploying every possible strategy to regain a foothold. Whether these efforts will be enough to dismantle the AAP’s grip on the slums remains uncertain.

For now, the battle for Delhi’s jhuggis rages on — one night stay, one campaign promise at a time.