Who is Mohan Singh Bisht, the BJP leader set to win Muslim-dominated Mustafabad?

The BJP’s strategy to “appease” one of its seasoned leaders, Mohan Singh Bisht, by nominating him from the Muslim-majority constituency of Mustafabad appears to have been successful. Bisht, the current Karawal Nagar MLA who was succeeded by Kapil Mishra, has achieved a lead of more than 40,000 votes following nine rounds of counting. As the elections approached, Mustafabad – home to a 39.5% Muslim population – drew attention when the AIMIM nominated former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor and 2020 Delhi riots suspect Tahir Hussain for the seat. The AAP had nominated Adeel Ahmad Khan.

Mustafabad in North East Delhi experienced severe impacts during the 2020 riots, resulting in the deaths of at least 53 individuals. Bisht is regarded as an experienced figure in Delhi’s political landscape and was initially elected as an MLA in 1998 from Karawal Nagar, a position he held until 2015. Nevertheless, he was defeated by Mishra in 2015 while contesting on an AAP ticket. Five years later, Bisht reclaimed Karawal Nagar by defeating the AAP’s Durgesh Pathak.

Following his replacement by Mishra, Bisht referred to the BJP’s choice as a “big mistake,” despite internal BJP surveys indicating that Mustafabad voters favored Mishra’s dynamic Hindutva and Purvanchali identity. With Bisht feeling dejected, the BJP national leadership stepped in and, the next day, declared him the candidate from Mustafabad, considering the considerable Pahadi demographic.

“I was the MLA of Karawal Nagar from 1998 to 2008 when the Mustafabad constituency was formed. People here have come out on the streets in support of me (after the announcement)… There is also a lot of support from the party… I am sure that Mustafabad will be the first seat that the BJP will win,” Bisht told . Senior BJP leaders refer to Bisht as “accessible” and have lauded his efforts to voice local issues while ensuring implementation of development projects and addressing people’s issues.