As Delhi heads to Assembly elections on February 5, slum welfare has emerged as a key electoral issue, with political heavyweights Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clashing over the needs and rights of slum dwellers.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal unleashed a bitter critique on the BJP in a press meet accusing the latter of being indifferent to the plight of the slum dwellers. Kejriwal alleged that the BJP approaches slum dwellers only during elections and that it will topple slums to acquire the land in case it comes to power. He further accused the BJP of treating slum residents as “insects, highlighting a deep disconnect between the party and these vulnerable communities.
BJP झुग्गीवासियों को दे रही है धोखा‼️
👉BJP कह रही है कि झुग्गियों की जगह मकान देंगे लेकिन 30 सितंबर, 2024 को रेलवे ने इस ज़मीन के टेंडर कर दिए।
👉15 दिन पहले LG ने इन झुग्गियों की ज़मीन का Land Use चेंज कर दिया।झुग्गीवासियों को पता ही नहीं कि जो उनके घर में बच्चों के साथ… pic.twitter.com/LYZO7qVAVE
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 12, 2025
Kejriwal also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of using “unparliamentary language” during his recent interaction with slum dwellers at a ‘Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan.’ Kejriwal criticized Shah’s remarks, which suggested slum dwellers would play a crucial role in removing the “Aapda” (a pun referring to the AAP government) from Delhi. Expressing his dismay, Kejriwal reiterated his commitment to uplifting marginalized communities and prioritizing public welfare over personal interests.
The BJP, however, views slum dwellers as a critical voter base, given their electoral significance. Home to more than 3 million residents who live in 750 slum clusters, slum voters can have significant influence in 20 constituencies. Their backing played a key role in AAP’s assembly elections 2020 victory, a clear proportion (61% of slum voters in their favor.
With an election date fast approaching, both sides are putting their (campaign) effort into overdrive, with slum betterment at the top. The ruling BJP has been stepping up its outreach activities and is trying to make it possible for residents of slums to look at them as a viable alternative. Meanwhile, AAP continues to highlight its achievements in education, healthcare, and infrastructure development in these areas, seeking to reinforce its credibility among slum voters.
The battle over slum welfare is not just about policies but also about contrasting governance styles. Although AAP highlights the record of bringing material benefits to socially vulnerable groups, the BJP is raising the narrative of development and infrastructure construction. It is clear that both sides recognize the gravity of the situation, for success in these pivotal constituencies may decide the result of the vote as a whole.
Analysts believe that slum residents, who often face challenges such as inadequate housing, poor sanitation, and lack of basic amenities, are seeking parties that can offer practical solutions. AAP’s offer of improved conditions of life and its provision of basic services made much appeal to this group in the 2020 elections. The BJP is currently at the forefront of this challenge by highlighting a broader vision of urban development and focusing upon AAP’s track record.
The concentration on efforts related to housing in slums brings to the surface more fundamental questions of urban inequality and the allocation of resources. As one of the most disadvantaged groups in the city, poor people in Delhi urban slums stand in the crosshairs of political promises and administrative constraints. Their importance in this election highlights the importance of long-term housing, sanitation and employment policies and not electoral short-term gains.
Sadly, the more high stakes the game of political monkey business, the sharper the campaign will become. As slum welfare has emerged to focus be, the election has begun to be, not only a question of what government model to use but a question of governance itself. AAP has the ambition of reinforcing its constituency among denizens of the slums by projecting an inclusive development policy, while BJP intends to disrupt this vision by presenting to the Delhi people an imagined city.
The upcoming elections will likely set the tone for the city’s development trajectory and political dynamics. For slum dwellers, the hope is that their immediate concerns will be met with concrete action, regardless of who overcomes the other political parties.
