Political Chess in Delhi: AAP, Congress, and AIMIM's Poll Dynamics

AAP candidates should have stepped aside for direct BJP contests, says AIMIM Delhi chief Shoaib Jamai. He accuses Congress of splitting votes, benefiting BJP in 14 seats, edging out Congress with narrow margins, while advocating direct contests for AIMIM in Muslim-majority seats.

AIMIM Delhi chief Shoaib Jamai called for AAP candidates to step aside, facilitating a direct electoral contest with BJP in the Assembly polls in Delhi. He criticized Congress for allegedly splintering the vote, benefiting the BJP in 14 constituencies where margins were tight.

Jamai argued that the Congress's performance contributed significantly to their losses. He highlighted the case of New Delhi constituency where AAP's Arvind Kejriwal lost to BJP's Parvesh Verma, buffered by votes won by Congress's Sandeep Dixit.

Jamai believes AAP should have refrained from fielding candidates in Muslim-majority areas like Okhla and Mustafabad, allowing AIMIM a more straightforward contest against BJP. Despite disappointing results, AIMIM secured 73,000 votes, a highlight in their first Delhi Assembly election campaign.

(With inputs from agencies.)