Educated, Class and Freebies: Narratives from Wazirpur and Shalimar Bagh: DAE, 2025  

Moderator: Team SHDRF
Enumerator: Ritika Mishra

The 2025 Delhi Assembly Election is shaping up to be a high-stakes battle, with BJP, AAP, and Congress engaged in aggressive campaigning. Each party is offering competitive welfare schemes, mobilizing cadres at the grassroots level, and crafting compelling political narratives. The central question remains: Will AAP maintain its dominance, or will Delhi witness a 'Parivartan' (change) in governance?
The last election was held in June 2024, and within just six months, Delhi is set to return to the polls. This unusually short gap raises questions: Are Delhi’s voters ready for another election? Have their concerns and priorities shifted? Our field investigation in Shalimar Bagh and Wazirpur aimed to uncover the pulse of the electorate.
Our fieldwork covered both residential neighborhoods and village settlements, engaging voters from diverse social and economic backgrounds of Wazirpur and Shalimar Bagh Constituencies. Through candid conversations, a complex electoral picture emerged.

Hope or Frustration?

An educated, middle-aged working woman expressed her dissatisfaction:
“For the past 10 years, Delhi has been ruined. There is no difference between the state capital and other states of India.”
Another voter added:
“Freebies are a scam and a trap. They throw money and watch the spectacle.”

Both voters refrained from blaming any one party but expressed disillusionment with the political system, doubting whether any party could bring real change.
In contrast, a Muslim shopkeeper initially hesitated to engage in conversation. As we were leaving, he abruptly asked:
“Are you from BJP?”
Reassuring him of our neutrality, we engaged in a dialectical conversation, allowing him to open up. A longtime Congress supporter, he lamented the lack of strong leadership within the party and saw no realistic chance for its revival in Delhi. Reluctantly, he said he would vote for AAP—not out of loyalty but simply to avoid wasting his vote. His remarks highlighted the strategic voting pattern among those who feel their preferred party has lost relevance.

Freebies vs. Development

As we moved towards Shalimar Bagh Village and its surrounding areas, young voters raised concerns about the rising cost of education and the need for student concessions on metro fares. Their electoral choices remained undecided, but there was a clear inclination towards AAP, particularly due to its promises of free bus services for male students and other educational benefits. However, as conversations deepened, it became evident that their concerns extended beyond freebies, focusing instead on the quality of education and infrastructural improvements.
“Political parties are like professors—more focused on attendance than improving classroom quality. Similarly, they invest heavily in campaigns to create an illusion of accessibility.”
This analogy by a young voter reflected growing skepticism among the youth regarding political engagement, where campaign optics often overshadow substantive policy improvements.

The Welfare Paradox

Meanwhile, at a ration shop in the area, a group of elderly women expressed satisfaction with AAP’s welfare schemes but paradoxically stated that they intended to vote for BJP to bring about change. This contradiction highlights a complex voter mindset, where dependence on welfare benefits coexists with a desire for political transformation. While these voters acknowledged the tangible benefits of AAP’s initiatives, their preference for a political shift suggests deeper concerns about governance, leadership, and long-term economic stability.

Development Over Freebies

The disconnect between policymakers and citizens was starkly articulated by a government officer, who voiced frustration over urban environmental degradation:
“Ministers enjoy luxury while Delhi suffocates with an AQI of 300.”

His concerns were echoed by educated voters, who prioritized employment, air quality, and governance over welfare schemes. Unlike beneficiaries of state-sponsored welfare, this demographic advocated for long-term developmental policies rather than short-term freebies. Their demands signal a growing push for sustainable governance, emphasizing infrastructure, economic opportunities, and environmental sustainability over electoral populism.

Voices from margin

In Wazirpur, our interactions with members of the Lohar community further illustrated the failures of successive governments to address fundamental infrastructural deficits. Residents highlighted pressing concerns, including:
• Lack of access to clean water, sanitation, and proper drainage
• Long distances (700 meters) to public toilets, disproportionately impacting women and children
• High dropout rates among children, especially girls after Class 8, due to financial constraints
• Employment struggles forcing young boys into daily wage labor
• Women engaged in pottery and small-scale activities to sustain their families

A resident summed up the community’s despair with a stark observation:
“For generations, we have done this, and we will continue doing it, no matter which government comes to power.”
This sentiment reflects the deep-rooted disillusionment of marginalized communities, who continue to struggle with basic amenities and sustainable employment opportunities. While political parties offer welfare schemes, they have failed to provide systemic solutions that could uplift these communities out of poverty and dependence on state benefits.

Political Campaigns

Political campaigns have become a powerful tool in shaping public perception. On the ground, we observed strategic branding by each party—positioning itself as the solution to voters’ grievances. However, the real question remains:
Do these promises translate into tangible governance? The narratives emerging from Shalimar Bagh and Wazirpur reveal diverse voter behaviors:
• Some remain loyal to their parties
• Others engage in strategic voting
• Welfare benefits attract many voters
• The educated and middle class leans towards governance and infrastructure concerns

What Lies Ahead?

As the Delhi Assembly Election 2025 draws closer, the political landscape remains fluid and highly contested. This election is not just a battle between parties but a struggle between competing visions for Delhi’s future.
At the forefront of this contest are two dominant players—BJP and AAP. The Delhi electorate is now visibly split between these two distinct voter blocs—one that relies on welfare benefits and another that prioritizes long-term developmental policies. While AAP has built strong voter loyalty through its extensive welfare initiatives, there is a rising section of voters advocating for governance accountability, infrastructural development, and economic stability.
The contrasting narratives from Shalimar Bagh and Wazirpur encapsulate this crucial political debate: Should governments focus on welfare policies to provide immediate relief, or should they emphasize sustainable growth and long-term infrastructural development?
Our field observations suggest a shift in voter sentiment, with a growing preference for development-oriented policies over short-term benefits.