NEW DELHI, India – In a bold electoral promise, India’s Interior Minister Amit Shah has vowed to remove all “illegal” immigrants from the capital if his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is victorious in the upcoming provincial elections. Addressing a large audience at a recent rally, Shah critiqued the incumbent Delhi government for allegedly accommodating illegal migrants from Bangladesh and the Rohingya community, pledging a clean-up within two years of taking office.
India and Bangladesh share a lengthy and porous border, making illegal immigration a longstanding and contentious issue in Indian politics. The BJP has often highlighted this matter in its campaigns, appealing to its core base of Hindu nationalists. Critics, however, accuse the BJP of leveraging anti-Muslim rhetoric to mobilize its supporters, especially during election seasons.
The political stakes are high in Delhi, a bustling megacity with over 30 million residents. The city has been under the governance of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for most of the last decade. Kejriwal, who initially rose to prominence as an anti-corruption advocate, has been a significant adversary to the BJP. His appeal among Delhi’s voters has been bolstered by his administration’s subsidies for water and electricity, targeting the city’s economically disadvantaged.
Nevertheless, Kejriwal’s tenure has not been without controversy. Last year, he faced allegations of corruption related to the issuance of liquor licenses and was imprisoned along with other party officials. Denying all charges, Kejriwal has labeled these accusations as politically motivated attacks orchestrated by his rivals. Despite these challenges and his resignation as chief minister, Kejriwal has expressed his determination to reclaim his position should the AAP triumph in the imminent elections.
Delhi’s electoral battle is intensifying as the BJP mounts a vigorous campaign to unseat the AAP before the polls on February 5. In a move likely aimed at reinforcing his connection with devout Hindus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate in the Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu festival, and bathe in the sacred Ganges river on election day.
The electoral outcomes, earmarked for release on February 8, are eagerly anticipated and are expected to have significant implications for the political landscape in India’s capital.
As the election narrative unfolds, the discourse around illegal immigration and governance will likely play a crucial role in shaping voter sentiment and the future political trajectory of New Delhi.
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