Aam Aadmi Party leader Kuldeep Kumar with supporters at a protest.
| Photo Credit: ANI

From being a volunteer of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to securing the party ticket again from the Kondli constituency for the Delhi Assembly election on February 5, sitting MLA and Dalit leader Kuldeep Kumar, 35, has come a long way.

His political journey began 12 years ago as a volunteer distributing pamphlets in the Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption movement, which was carried forward by Arvind Kejriwal to float AAP on November 26, 2012.

Mr. Kumar quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Delhi’s youngest councillor at 27 after winning the 2017 municipal election from east Delhi’s Kalyanpuri ward. He continued his winning streak, securing the Kondli reserved seat in the 2020 Assembly election, but faced defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the unreserved East Delhi seat.

Undeterred, he’s now campaigning in Kondli with renewed energy, using e-rickshaws with cut-outs of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb, to appeal for votes.

Humble beginnings

Born to a migrant worker father from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, who worked as a sanitation worker with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and a homemaker mother, Mr. Kumar says he understands the plight of those residing in the jhuggis of his constituency.

“Born and raised in a 200-sq-ft house in Mandawali, I have closely seen the struggles of my community in accessing quality education. However, with AAP coming to power, things have changed. People from even the most underprivileged communities now have opportunities to attend school,” he says.

While he aspired to be seen as a “mass leader” during the Lok Sabha poll, he is now openly embracing his identity as a prominent Dalit face of the party.

Politics of Ambedkar

The MLA counters the allegations from two former Ministers who recently left the party claiming that it doesn’t support backward classes. He asserts that since AAP came to power, it has become easier to practise the politics of Ambedkar, who championed social justice and equality for marginalised communities.

“Earlier, government officials were afraid of putting up photographs of Babasaheb on their office desks or walls; but since AAP has come to power, Kejriwal has made it mandatory for every government office to have Babasaheb’s photograph,” said Mr. Kumar. He adds that the party has not shied away from upholding the beliefs of Babasaheb and even named schools after him.

New promises

He is now taking his campaign to the doorsteps of his constituents, vowing to deliver on Mr. Kejriwal’s promises. He has also made two more commitments: “I have promised the people of Kondli that I will get rid of the Ghazipur garbage mound and bring metro connectivity to this part of the city.”

The incumbent MLA is not only making new promises, but also vowing to continue improving healthcare facilities and infrastructure in the area if voted back to power.

Since filing his nomination papers, Mr. Kumar, affectionately called ‘Monu’ by his supporters, has settled into a daily routine that begins at 5 a.m. with a morning stroll in a park. He then dives into campaign mode, leading roadshows and walkathons, interacting with voters and party workers, and holding meetings in neighbourhood parks of gated societies. He also makes it a point to connect with people in slums and JJ clusters. His packed day comes to a close at 11 p.m.

‘Long way to go’

While Mr. Kumar remains confident about his connection with the people of his constituency ahead of the election, its residents, mainly sanitation workers and labourers living  in jhuggis, express concerns about the existing infrastructure. They say there is still a long way to go in improving roads, drainage, and waste management.