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Union Budget: BJP Hopes to Win Delhi

Union Budget: BJP Hopes to Win Delhi

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Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Feb 1: The BJP’s dominance in the northern states is unmistakable but at the main seat of power, Delhi, the power has eluded the party so far, even though the party was winning all the seven seats in the Lok Sabha from the national capital region for the last two terms.

Armed with the many sops for the middle class, especially by way of income tax deductions announced in the union budget for 2025-26 on Saturday, the BJP is hoping to win Delhi for the first time in the Assembly elections next week.

The Election Commission (EC) had made it clear that no Delhi-centric announcements could be made, but the income tax relief has given a fillip to BJP leaders fighting from the Capital.

As per statistics available, the middle-class population in Delhi is 45 per cent, which is more than the national average of 31 per cent. The middle class in Delhi is the largest income-based sub-group and a deciding factor in polls. For example, in 2020, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rode to a win on the support of the middle class. In 2024, it’s the same middle class that gave full support to the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.

It has come as no surprise that both the President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have spoken of the middle class. On the first day of the Budget Session, PM Modi said: “I pray that Maa Lakshmi continues to bless the poor and middle class of our country and continues to shower her blessings.”

For both the BJP and AAP and, of course, the Congress, their hopes are pinned on a decisive middle class. It’s this class which abandoned the Congress, ending its 15-year stint in Delhi, and shifted to AAP. The BJP hopes that with the income tax relief announced, the middle class will shift to the party, ending Arvind Kejriwal’s party’s 10-year stint.

The New Tax Regime eliminates earnings up to Rs 12 lakh, while for those earning above Rs 12 lakh, there are various slabs with significant benefits. “The middle class helps in nation-building. This tax concession is a recognition of the admirable energy and ability of the middle class in nation building,” the BJP said.

The BJP’s hope is that the move will be recognised and appreciated by middle-class voters of Delhi too. AAP, meanwhile, is looking at the fine print and the many sops they have announced to make the point that even before this budget, it was the AAP alone which has been the party of the middle class.

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