The Delhi election was a bitter fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP eventually won the AAP 48-22. The elections were fought on a host of issues. One of them was that included the alleged “imports” of Punjabis to influence Delhi elections.
The BJP accused the AAP of bringing people and vehicles from Bhagwant Maan-prashed Punjab. Pravesh Verma, who met Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency (and Jeeta), had said that thousands of vehicles are ply Delhi roads with Punjab number plates. He said, “Nobody knows what they are doing here before the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi. What can they do that can pose a threat to our safety and safety? These vehicles need to be checked,” He said.
Dil e is the country’s Rabasauna. Tanger Shyara Tight Tight Talk Any R Namb R’s R Numb R Rasamana Rasamana Rasamana Rasamana
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– Bhagwant Mann (@bhagwantmann) January 21, 2025
His comment became an election issue, AAP called it “an insult to Punjabi”. Kejriwal said: “Millions of Punjabis live in Delhi, whose families and their ancestors have made countless sacrifices for the country. Millions of Punjabi refugees also live in Delhi who left everything during the difficult period of partition and bus in Delhi Went … what … BJP leaders are saying today that their martyrdom and sacrifice is an insult … Delhi has been developed by Punjabis.
Verma quickly clarified that he meant only from Punjab CM, ministers, his MLAs and his party workers. He said, “They are roaming in their private cars, which have a ‘government of Punjab’, which are pasted on them … they are distributing liquor, CCTV cameras and money here,” he said.
However, after the elections, a separate picture emerged.
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How did Punjabis vote in Delhi in 2025?
The national capital has at least 20 Punjabi-confusing constituencies, besides seats which have Punjabi population.
The BJP won three out of four seats, where they were more than 10 percent of Sikh voters, as PTI reported. Out of 28 seats with more than 10 percent Punjabi voters – Janakpuri, Rajouri, and Hari Nagar for example – 23 went on the way to BJP.
Punjabi is spread in Delhi, but West Delhi is a stronghold, with Punjabis, including Sikhs, some areas have an estimated 55–60% population, according to a report in the Indian Express. Twelve of the 20-year-old Punjabi-serial constituencies are in West Delhi, while there are four each in South and East Delhi.
Punjabi-Prabhu constituencies of West Delhi include Janakpuri, Madipur, Hari Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tilak Nagar, Tri Nagar, Karol Bagh, Rajinder Nagar, Patel Nagar, Moti Nagar, Vikaspuri, and Shalimar Bagh. In East Delhi, major seats are Gandhi Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Shahdara and Vishwas Nagar, while in South Delhi, there are a notable Punjabi voters in the constituencies of Jungpur, Kasturba Nagar, Malvia Nagar and Greater Kailash.
Most of these areas supported AAP in the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections, the BJP managed to win only two of these seats – Gandhi Nagar and Vishwas Nagar. Both have a sufficient Punjabi and Sikh population.
However, this time these voters have supported the BJP. In the recently concluded elections, the BJP won all these seats with a comfortable difference of more than 10,000 votes. The only exception was Hari Nagar, where the victory margin fell below 10,000, but remained above 5,000.
The BJP lost only three-Tilak Nagar, Karol Bagh, and Patel Nagar-Socopes in West Delhi, out of Punjabi-serial constituencies.
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How did BJP wrestle Punjabi voters from AAP?
Punjabi voters in court, BJP handed over prominent leaders for this task, including Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, who comes from Punjabi refugee family, and East Delhi MP MP Harshaotra, who is the road transport and highway state There is also a minister, and also the Minister of State for Highways, and MOS, Corporate Affairs.
Additionally, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, a prominent Sikh face in the cabinet played a role in outreach efforts. Another major factor in the BJP’s appeal for the middle class was the announcement of the Union Budget to give exemption to persons earning up to Rs 12 lakh annually from income tax under the new tax regime.
BJP leaders highlighted the promises made in their election manifesto, echoing with Punjabi voters, especially the business community. The party promised to ignore shops within six months, convert all leasehold properties into freehold under the Land and Development Office (L&DO), established a dedicated Delhi Trader Welfare Board, trades for three to five years Expanded the validity of the license, and a Delhi retail trade introduced policy to simplify the rules.
Another major promise was a lack of power tariffs for commercial establishments. The BJP committed to provide a monthly allowance of Rs 20,000 for Gurdwara Granthis and increase the monthly pension for the 1984 riot widows from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.
The BJP leader told The Indian Express, “Punjabis have historically tilted to BJP, come from many economically stable backgrounds. A significant number of traders, especially Punjabi Khatis, who always have the party’s party always. Has supported. ” “Even non-traders Punjabis generally come from well-closed families, making them more inclined to align with BJP’s policies.”
Asked why this time the BJP got Punjabi votes, another party leader pointed to two main factors: “Disappointment with AAP policies that benefit a selective section” and “” In the Delhi Cabinet Punjabi or Sikh ministers “.
