Delhi polls: BJP decides to shun its core agenda Hindutva to return to power after 27 yrs

New Delhi:In its bid to return to power in Delhi after 27 years, the BJP has decided to shun its core agenda -- Hindutva. Instead, the saffron strategists have decided to focus on the development plank and the "AAP's corruption".

The cautionary shift in the BJP's strategy is a direct response to the backlash faced during the last Assembly polls, when inflammatory speeches like "Desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalo ko" (Shoot the traitors) had not only triggered national outrage but also cost the BJP crucial support among Delhi's urban electorate. The BJP leaders have been asked by the party high command to refrain from making any "anti-Muslim" speeches.

The BJP made a transitional shift from its core ideology within months after the crucial Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections, where it used the Hindutva card and riding on it even went on to form the government in Maharashtra.

In Delhi, however, the scenario is completely different as it is being fought on issues like broken roads, water, pollution and poor sanitation in the national capital, apart from the AAP's "Sheesh Mahal" and alleged liquor policy scam. In its bid to give a push to its charge against the AAP of spending “lavishly” to renovate the chief minister’s residence, the BJP has ordered 14 model “replicas”, one for each district in the national capital. The party plans to set up 70 Sheesh Mahal replicas, one for each of Delhi's Assembly constituencies.

Sensing the pulse of Delhi's electorate this time, the BJP chalked out the strategy of targeting the ruling AAP primarily on the corruption and development front. The reason being the Arvind Kejriwal-led party came into power riding high on only these issues and targeting him over the issues will be more beneficial for the BJP than its Hindutva agenda, or so believes the party's strategists.

Insiders claimed that the BJP will not repeat the mistakes it made during the 2020 Delhi polls in which its senior leaders, including Union ministers, were allegedly involved in a controversy.

In a rally of a senior party leader, slogans like -- Desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalo ko -- were raised as the 2020 polls were held during the raging citizenship protest and its aftermath resulted in the deaths of over 50 people in the Northeast Delhi riots. The party doesn’t want to repeat the same mistake twice and hence is refraining from using religious cards.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is leading the saffron party’s charge in the upcoming polls, is banking on corruption as well as the development plank.

Mr Modi, who kick-started the BJP's campaign with two events, including a rally in Delhi last week in which, apart from launching development and infrastructure works worth over `16,000 crores, he tore into the AAP and its supremo on corruption issues, particularly over the Sheesh Mahal and "liquor scam".

Earlier this week, BJP president J.P. Nadda appealed to the Delhi voters to elect a government that will contribute to their progress and make the national capital a developed city.