Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to meet leaders of Delhi’s slum clusters on January 11 as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) efforts to connect with slum voters ahead of the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. The meeting, to be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, will mark Shah’s first interaction with representatives from nearly 3,000 slum colonies across the city.
The BJP has launched a campaign titled “Where There’s a Slum, There’s a House” to engage with slum residents and address their concerns. The initiative involves direct outreach, with BJP MPs, MLAs, and other leaders spending nights in slum areas to better understand the challenges faced by residents. Over the past few months, approximately two dozen BJP leaders have participated in these activities, staying in slum clusters one night each week.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 1,675 flats in Delhi’s Ashok Vihar for slum dwellers, reinforcing the party’s focus on housing and infrastructure development for the urban poor. Delhi is home to around 675 slum clusters, with a significant concentration—18-20%—in the eastern and northeastern parliamentary constituencies. These areas have traditionally supported the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the last two Assembly elections. However, the BJP is working to shift this support by addressing housing and basic infrastructure needs.
The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, 2025, with vote counting on February 8. The Election Commission announced the dates on January 7, and the current term of the 70-member Assembly is set to conclude on February 23.
The BJP’s outreach to slum voters is seen as a key strategy in their campaign to challenge the AAP’s dominance in the city. With initiatives like the slum development campaign and the recent housing project, the party aims to make inroads into constituencies where AAP has maintained a stronghold.
By engaging directly with slum leaders and residents, the BJP is attempting to build trust and present itself as a viable alternative in addressing the issues faced by the urban poor.
