For years, its politics was dominated by Punjabi speaking refugees and money-speaking Baniyas. Next surged the Hindi-speaking Jats, whose finest hour was Sahib Singh Verma's
anointment as chief minister in 1996.
This year, all hell broke loose. Delhi's political parties confronted multiculturalism with a vengeance. In the ruling BJP, the bugle of revolt was sounded by those who accused the party of "ignoring south Indians" as a whole and "neglecting Poorvanchalis", the Delhiites from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The Congress had its own problems. Sharad Pawar, the great Maratha himself, was upset at supporter Hari Shankar being denied a ticket.
Arjun Singh from Madhya Pradesh who, to be fair, once served as South Delhi's MP, pleaded unsuccessfully for nominations for two acolytes: Tinkle Bindra and Harcharan Singh Josh.
The geographical spread of Delhi's politics is becoming almost comical. Appropriately then the two contenders for the crown of chief minister are born again Dilliwallahs.
Click here to EnlargeSushma Swaraj was a minister in the Haryana government in 1977 before Delhi sent her to the Lok Sabha. Shiela Dikshit is a Sardarni who married into an old Congress family from Uttar Pradesh.
Swaraj was happily ensconced as Union minister for both communications and information and broadcasting when, a few weeks ago, she was virtually coerced into heading a rescue operation for the Delhi BJP.
The party unit is split between Madan Lal Khurana and Verma, both former chief ministers, Swaraj became the compromise candidate to succeed Verma after a summer of discontent which left Delhi hot, thirsty and with a thinner wallet.
No wonder the attractively named A.S. Lovely - at 29, the youngest Congress candidate in the fray - has coined this campaign jingle: Bijli paani aloo pyaaz, sapnon mein aate hain aaj. (Power, water, potatoes and onions are available only in our dreams).
Uneasy about the extent of disgruntlement, Verma decided not to contest. That hasn't saved him from embarrassment though. This past week Ved Singh, a BJP rebel who was standing as a Samata Party candidate from Verma's pocket borough of Nangloi, was murdered.
The killing is seen as part of a local gang war-in which Verma's nephews may also be implicated. It is just the sort of last minute publicity the beleaguered ruling party could have done without. The chief minister herself is putting up a brave front.
Click here to EnlargeAlluding to the recent rumours of a salt shortage she is belligerence personified at election meeting after election meeting: "My inquiries reveal that some low-level Congressmen created this salt scarcity ... A party which can so brazenly shield those involved in the massacre of 3,000 Sikhs in 1984 can as easily mix mobil in mustard oil so the government gets discredited and can also make salt disappear."
Strong words; but to BJP opponents empty ones. The Congress is banking on three factors. One, BJP misrule. Two, Sonia Gandhi's liberal use of the broom: 33 of the 70 candidates are new faces.
Three, Dikshit's ability to unite the party and even accommodate the Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler camps, thus far under the "1984 cloud". Finally, there is the scent of power which is so very distinctive of Congressmen. As one of them says: "If we can't win Delhi now, when can we?" By the end of the month, he may have a few answers.
