New Delhi, A smart combination of social benefit schemes and freebies has successfully delivered the bulk of Delhi’s voters to Arvind Kejriwal in the Assembly polls held on Saturday.
According to the IANS-C-Voter Exit Poll released immediately after the polling ended, by specifically focusing on women, backward classes, minorities and people below the poverty line, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) cornered 50.6 per cent of votes polled for the 70-member Delhi legislative Assembly.
The exit poll findings predicted a comfortable victory for the ruling AAP, which looks set to return to power after its shock win in 2015.
But what is even more interesting is that AAP has scored consistently among 11 major demographics.
As expected, women voters did not let down the AAP, which pampered them with welfare schemes such as free bus rides.
By the end of polling on Saturday, 50.6 per cent of women voted for AAP as compared to 36.2 per cent for its nearest rival BJP. Even among women voters, 51.6 per cent of housewives voted for AAP.
Apart from the freebies, polarisation over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has also apparently helped mobilise Muslim votes in favour of AAP.
As much as 61 per cent of Muslims voted for the ruling party, leaving the traditional choice, the Congress, with just 14.5 per cent — lower than the BJP which managed to attract 18.9 per cent of votes from the minority community.
AAP also scored well with the youth segment of Delhi voters, with 52.2 per cent of voters in the 18-22 age group voting for the party
The results of Delhi Assembly polls will be announced on February 11.
As part of its poll promises, the AAP has offered a number of freebies to the people of Delhi. Schemes likes free power, WiFi, free bus rides for women and a host of other initiatives in the health and education sectors have endeared the party led by Arvind Kejriwal to the people of Delhi.
In 2015, the AAP had won 67 seats while the BJP bagged the remaining 3 seats.
