Ten minutes after we ended our Facebook Live with Swaraj India founder Yogendra Yadav on April 20, our intern Dushyant Tyagi fell in an uncovered drain in Bijwasan constituency’s Raj Nagar ward. Ironically, on the way to Dwarka sector 9 metro station, one of the BJP’s campaign e-rickshaws was playing a recording which roughly translated to – “vote for BJP to end corruption and garbage problems in Delhi.”

In 2007, former chief minister Sheila Dikshit had divided MCD into – south, north and east zones in order to keep BJP at bay from civic governance. However, BJP had clinched all three MCDs not only in 2007 but also in 2012. In short, BJP has had power over the civic bodies for a decade now. So when it refers to garbage and corruption in its advertisement campaigns, who exactly is it holding responsible?

Ideally, having governed MCDs for 10 years, BJP should be reeling under anti-incumbent pressure. However, thanks to the slick campaign packaging of both the BJP and Congress and the reporting by a section of media, it appears that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is on the receiving end. The entire campaign of BJP and the Congress Party is focused on alleged failures of AAP government in Delhi and the “lies” of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Probably for the first time, the civic body polls are witnessing a fierce battle between the political parties. While BJP chief Amit Shah himself is said to be observing the polls, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has ensured no stone is left unturned. Delhi BJP had prepared a list of star campaigners for MCD polls which featured seven BJP chief ministers including UP CM Adityanath Yogi. Even though BJP CMs didn’t join the campaign for the MCD polls, seven BJP MPs from Delhi and union ministers such as Harsh Vardhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, Vijay Goel and Smriti Irani have campaigned for the saffron party.

Modi Factor

Delhi streets, bus stops, and metro stations-even its bogies-have been flooded with BJP advertisement. Even the news dailies and portals carry BJP advertisement for MCD polls. Importantly, the three faces that feature in these ads are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Manoj Tiwari. In its campaign, BJP constantly evokes Modi and all its campaigns claim to seek the vote in his name. But why evoke PM’s name in a simple local body election?

The Modi factor has created a winning spree for BJP. Its historic victory in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election has only emboldened this effect. Delhi voters are equally influenced by the Modi wave and this has helped Delhi BJP in deflecting the anti-incumbency factor which could have marred their prospects in the polls.

Why is BJP referring to Kashmir, Pakistan and Nationalism its campaign?

One of the BJP ads asks whether Delhi voters will stand with those who have made the country proud (referring to BJP) or those who have allegedly supported anti-national forces. In its rallies and public meetings, BJP leaders are talking about a range of issues such as the surgical strike, Pakistan, and Kashmir to provoke “nationalist fervour” in voters. When this correspondent asked a BJP candidate in Aya Nagar why these were the talking points in a municipal election, he said – “we all are citizens of the country and hence cannot ignore these issues. These are important issues for Indians.” One can’t help but wonder how electing the BJP in the MCD election will solve the Kashmir crisis or diffuse tensions with Pakistan?

However, what is clear is that the BJP is ducking some serious questions about its track record in the MCD.

For the past two years, Delhi has witnessed the worst kind of politics over garbage. Non-payment of salaries to sanitation workers and strikes had remained the only constant in the national capital. Each time sanitation workers went on strike, and the city turned into a trash heap–BJP councillors and its mayors blamed the AAP government for the mess. The rhetoric remained same. Earlier BJP used to blame the Dikshit government, now it is accusing AAP of not releasing adequate funds for the civic bodies.

However, the party has never pondered its inefficiencies in governance. Also, this myopia is clearly working in BJP’s favour as neither the public nor the media is asking them these uncomfortable questions.

BJP governed MCDs spent roughly Rs 1 crore per month for the maintenance of its website, a report said.

Another report published in January 2017, the chief auditor of municipal accounts has found that in past 18 years, the erstwhile MCD and North MCD had spent Rs 1, 942.82 crore on pensions.

The report said, “The pension cell released funds amounting to Rs 471.95 crore during 1998-99 to 2004-05, Rs 162 crore during 2005-06 to 2006-07 and Rs 1,205.28 crore during 2007-08 to 2012-13 to PNB (Punjab National Bank) and UCO banks for disbursement to the pensioners.” In 2013-14 and 2014-15, NDMC had again released Rs 103.59 crore to the two saving accounts. It further said, “The banks have been furnishing statements of payments made to the pensioners regularly, but the department did not carry out any verification to ascertain as to whether the payments were made to bonafide pensioners or not.”

The irregularities were flagged by auditors even in June 2015. However, they didn’t even bother to reply, let alone initiate an inquiry into the matter. Both Congress and AAP have been raising these issues in their attacks on the BJP.

The landfills in Delhi such as one in Ghazipur have been often been called a ticking bomb due to the high methane buildup. However, the BJP governed MCDs have failed to address these serious environmental challenges.

Enough has been reported to show the dismal state of cleanliness and drainage in Delhi. The conditions of dispensaries and schools run by MCDs have rarely made news for good reasons.

Under such circumstances, it would be better for Delhi BJP to distract people before they start questioning their under-performance.

Unauthorised colonies like Raj Nagar where Tyagi fell in a drain have several nightmarish stories when it comes to basic civic amenities.

Achievements of BJP

Besides attacking AAP and Kejriwal in its campaign, BJP is listing the installation of LED street lights, building open gyms in MCD parks and initiatives towards digital governance as its achievements. However not all these achievements can be credited to them, on April 4, an image from the website of the Municipality of Shelburne in Canada was simply copy-pasted by Delhi BJP twitter handle (which was later deleted) and was listed as an achievement of South MCD.

Also, the fact that BJP refused to field any of its seating councillors in the polls was a symbolic acceptance that its councillors had under-performed. Sources also say that the saffron party feared that over 60 per cent of seating councillors would lose the polls – if fielded again.

By bringing new faces, adding the Modi factor and leading a fierce attack on Kejriwal, BJP changed the game in its favour.

PM Vs CM war

Even though there is no empirical data to prove that Kejriwal’s strategy to attack Modi on every issue didn’t go well with Delhiwallahs, it is surely affecting AAP’s prospects. The Rajouri garden by-poll result was also indicative of the dissatisfaction with AAP.

In 2014, Delhi voted all seven BJP candidates to Parliament. However, in 2015 Delhi assembly election voters showered their love on AAP candidates, and BJP was reduced to rubbles. The message was clear – Delhiwallahs want Modi as PM and Kejriwal as CM.

However, Kejriwal’s strategy of leading the anti-Modi campaign, criticising Notebandi and the questioning the integrity of the election commission in name of electronic voting machines (EVMs) has done more harm to AAP than benefitting its cause.

It will be interesting to see that whether Delhi will vote for basic civic amenities on April 23 or will it be swayed by the political propagandas.

The author can be contacted on Twitter @tweets_amit.