Delhi poll results: BJP appears set to sweep Purvanchali-dominated seats

Purvanchalis are the migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh estimated to account for nearly two-thirds of the voters in the national Capital

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared set to win 10 of the 14 Purvanchali-dominated seats as it was poised to return to power in Delhi after 27 years. Purvanchalis, the migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh estimated to account for nearly two-thirds of the voters in the national Capital, backed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the last two elections. There appeared to be a growing disillusionment among the Purvanchali voters with the AAP.

BJP supporters celebrating outside the state headquarters. (REUTERS)

Of the 14 Purvanchal-majority seats, BJP’s Pradyumn Singh Rajput was ahead in Dwarka by 4,819 votes by noon. In Laxmi Nagar, Abhay Verma was leading by 1,862 and Kapil Mishra in Karawal Nagar by 23,352 votes. Satish Upadhyay was ahead in Malviya Nagar by 5,652, Ravinder Singh Negi by 15,000 in Patparganj, and Umang Bajaj by 704 votes in Rajinder Nagar. Jitender Mahajan was leading in Rohtas Nagar by 10,450, Chandan Kumar Choudhary by 271 in Sangam Vihar, and Rekha Gupta in Shalimar Bagh by 24,780 votes. Pankaj Kumar Singh was ahead with 8,846 votes in Vikas Puri.

The AAP appeared to retaining sway in four Purvanchali-domianted seats by noon with Gopal Rai leading in Babarpur by 19,119 votes. Sanjeev Jha was ahead in Burari with a margin of 436 votes. Anil Jha was leading in Kirari by a margin of 974 and Akhilesh Pati Tripathi by 2,771 votes in Model Town.

Data from the last three censuses shows the share of migrants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (includes Uttarakhand and Jharkhand for the sake of consistency with the 1991 census) increased from a fifth to a fourth in Delhi’s population. Not all migrants from Uttar Pradesh can be qualified as Purvanchalis. The census does not give a district-wise mapping of migrant exporting and importing centers.

As per the 2016-17 Economic Survey, Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and Bihar to Delhi were the top two migrant export-import routes by states. Of the top 30 routes between migrant exporting and importing districts in the country, eight were from Purvanchal to Delhi. The rise of the Purvanchali vote bank is yet to reach its peak.

The number of Purvanchali lawmakers in Delhi increased from two in the 1993, and 1998 elections to nine each in 2015 and 2020. The trend was snapped in 2013 when the AAP contested its first election in Delhi. Five out of its 28 lawmakers were Purvanchalis. This number increased to nine in 2015 and 10 in 2020.

The BJP this year fielded four Purvanchalis even as it left a seat each to two of the party’s allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas). The AAP fielded 12 Purvanchalis and Congress four.