Babarpur Assembly Election 2025: Will AAP’s Gopal Rai secure another win or can BJP stage an upset?
BJP dominated the constituency for several terms until the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) broke its grip in 2015. Before that, BJP’s Naresh Gaur won the seat in 1993 and 1998 but lost to Congress’s Vinay Sharma in 2003. Gaur made a comeback in 2008 and won again in 2013 by defeating AAP leader Gopal Rai. However, Rai turned the tables in 2015 and retained the seat in 2020, marking AAP’s stronghold in the area.
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Now, as the elections approach, Gopal Rai is eyeing a hat-trick—something even four-time winner Gaur could not achieve. The contest is set against the backdrop of Babarpur’s diverse demographic, with a significant Muslim population of nearly 35% and a Brahmin voter base of about 19%. The constituency includes areas like Balbir Nagar, Chhajjupur, Harijan Basti, Indira Niketan, Janta Mazdoor Colony, Kabir Nagar, Kardam Puri, Maujpur, New Jafrabad, North Ghonda, and Yamuna Vihar.
Babarpur assembly Elections 2025: AAP’s Gopal Rai Focuses on Development
Gopal Rai, AAP’s Delhi convenor and former minister, is banking on the development work undertaken in the last two terms. Speaking about his tenure, he said, “In the last decade, we repaired over 900 streets and upgraded infrastructure significantly. About 90% of our work is complete. We’ve installed CCTV cameras, fixed streetlights to reduce crime and set up mohalla clinics. A mini-hospital with multiple healthcare systems, an open banquet hall, a modern auditorium, and a mini-stadium have also been set up.”
Rai asserts that AAP’s work in
