Vijay Goel suggests new election ‘formula’ for BJP’s success

New Delhi: Former Delhi BJP president and Union minister Vijay Goel has suggested a new demographic formula, “Poorvanchali-Baniya” combine, for the party’s electoral success in next year’s general elections and the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls in the national capital.

The Poorvanchali-Baniya combine, which constitutes a little less than 50 per cent of the total electorate in the city, can together change the electorate fortune of any political party.  

The event was attended by BJP president Amit Shah, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and presidents of polling booths in the city.

Mr Goel, who belongs to the Baniya community, tried to connect a chord with the dominant Poorv-anchali community, which consists over 35 per cent of the total electoral in Delhi, by speaking in Bhojpuri at a party event on December 23. “I want to assure every Poorvanchali in Delhi that nobody can harm them as long as Vijay bhaiya is here. Not to forget, Manoj Tiwari bhaiya is also here in Delhi,” Mr Goel said in Bhojpuri.

Mr Goel, speaking in Bhojpuri, brought loud cheers from the audience and brought a smile on Mr Shah’s face. Mr Tiwari, a Bhojpuri superstar turned politician, still remains a dominant and tallest leader of the Poorvanchalis.

A senior party leader said that identifying and exploring new political equations at this time is crucial for BJP as the party is already facing the ire of the trading community in wake of demonetisation, implementation of GST, and the sealing drive.

“Arvind Kejriwal, and his party AAP, is trying to make an inroad into these two communities. AAP has even raised a baseless allegation that the names of 15 lakh Poorvanchalis and four lakh Baniyas have been deleted from the voter list on BJP’s direction. It is necessary that we reach out to these two communities and politically there is no harm in combining them,” he added.

A Delhi BJP insider explained that the Poorvanchalis voted in large numbers for the saffron party in the municipal polls in 2017 owing to their connect with Mr Tiwari, who was elected to Lok Sabha from the Northeast Delhi constituency and later appointed as the Delhi BJP president.

“On the other hand, Mr Goel has influence over the Baniya or trading community in Delhi,” he added.