In northeast Delhi’s riot-scarred landscape, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a telling electoral victory, winning three out of five assembly seats and, most significantly, wresting Mustafabad – ground zero of the 2020 communal violence – from the Aam Aadmi Party.
In 2020, less than a fortnight after the Aam Aadmi Party won the assembly polls, communal violence broke out in Mustafabad, leaving 53 people dead and a trail of destruction. On Saturday, it became the only constituency to change hands in this sensitive region.
BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht clinched Mustafabad with a margin of 17,578 votes, defeating AAP’s new candidate Adil Ahmad Khan. Tahir Hussain, the former AAP councillor accused in the riots, joined the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and contested the seat, securing 33,474 — the third highest.
The constituency’s 262,642 voters span a complex demographic split, with parties and locals estimating roughly 40% of the population to be from the Muslim community.
Local residents suggest the AAP’s defeat stemmed from growing disillusionment with their incumbent representative. “Since the riots, MLA [Haji] Yunus has not met victims’ families,” said Mohammed Aleem, 52, a scrap dealer in Brijpuri. “Not just that, he didn’t work for the area’s development. He never even visited this area.”
The stark communal divide in voting patterns was evident in Shiv Vihar, part of Mustafabad constituency that witnessed the worst violence in 2020. While Hindu residents celebrated with motichoor laddoos, Muslim voters expressed apprehension about the future.
“Finally, there will be someone who will listen to us and work for us,” said Bhupendra Kumar, 48, a Hindu labourer.
Salim Ahmed, 38, a machine parts seller, voiced concerns about increasing polarisation: “When riots took place, everyone blamed us that we started the riots even though we were the ones who suffered most loss. We live on the edge anyway and it’ll only now increase.”
Infrastructure and economic recovery were crucial electoral issues. “We have still not recovered from the pandemic and riots,” said Anees Bano, 52, a resident of Shiv Vihar. “My son used to work in factories, but they shut, due to which they now do odd jobs. They haven’t been able to get a steady job.”
In the other NE Delhi regions, the BJP retained Karawal Nagar and Ghonda, where Kapil Mishra and incumbent Ajay Mahawar won by margins of 23,355 and 26,058 votes respectively. The AAP held onto Seelampur and Gokulpur, with Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad securing a commanding lead of 42,477 votes in Seelampur and Surendra Kumar commanding a margin of 8,215.
Across the region’s constituencies, local infrastructure dominated voter concerns. “This area is hugely populated. Thousands of people live in a single street and have vehicles. The roads are weak and keep caving in. There are few roads which have not been fixed for years,” said Anup Singh, general secretary of Dayalpur D-Block RWA.
In Seelampur, where the AAP prevailed, residents attributed the victory more to candidate than party. “If Zubair would have contested as an independent candidate also, he would have won because he is extremely approachable and is Mateen Ahmad’s son – a five-time MLA,” said Navi Ahmed, 45, a car scrap dealer.
But a broader disillusionment with AAP was evident in voter testimonies. “The reason why people have not voted for AAP in general is because there was a lot of negative publicity against Kejriwal. He built his house worth crores. AAP leaders went to jail. There was a lot of mistrust,” Ahmed added.
In Ghonda, where the BJP retained power, residents credited the incumbent’s focus on local issues. “He had won in 2020 as well and worked on the sanitation in the area. You can see a difference in how Ghonda looks as compared to areas like Mustafabad or Seelampur,” said Sumit Singh, 45, who runs a utensils shop.
The results suggest a shift in voter priorities since the 2020 riots. Communal tensions remain palpable, particularly in Mustafabad, but civic infrastructure and economic recovery appear to have superseded identity politics — an outcome that is not without anxiety.