Delhi’s autorickshaw drivers take centre stage in poll campaigns

Delhi’s 98,000 autorickshaw drivers constitute less than 1% of the city’s 15.5 million registered voters

In the teeming streets of Delhi, where the rhythmic bustle of autorickshaws serves as the city’s relentless heartbeat, a quieter battle is unfolding — a political tug-of-war for the soul of a constituency as mobile as it is vital. Autorickshaw drivers – who ferry a few hundred thousand people every day – have become a centrepiece in the feverish run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections. For the political elite, these drivers represent more than a voting bloc — they are the vessels of last-mile connectivity, both in transportation and outreach.

Auto drivers at New Delhi Railway Station. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATION)

Ramsharan Rajput, an autorickshaw driver since 1989, has witnessed the ebb and flow of political tides. From Nehru Place to Saket, he ferries passengers and tales of governments led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and now the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

“Every election, netas (political leaders) treat us like royalty — promising the moon, sharing meals with us — but once the votes are counted, we’re left to fend for ourselves,” Rajput says with a wry smile. For him, the allure of fleeting political attention is as much a spectacle as it is a moment of respite. “We know we’re being used, but even a few sponsored meals feel like something. It’s a rare acknowledgment.”

Despite being a relatively small constituency — Delhi’s 98,000 autorickshaw drivers constitute less than 1% of the city’s 15.5 million registered voters — they hold outsized political importance.

Their vehicles, adorned with party posters, double as mobile campaign platforms, zipping through the city and amplifying election narratives. Unlike caste-based or religious groups concentrated in pockets, autorickshaw drivers traverse diverse neighbourhoods, becoming de facto influencers in mid-journey conversations about governance and change.

Political experts say that autorickshaw drivers, although small in number, are a well-organised group as a union and are, therefore, an effective communication and advertising tool.

“Autorickshaw drivers form the lower-middle-class and middle-class groups that are aspirational and also have a view on politics and governance. They provide a crucial public transport mode, ferrying thousands of commuters and have personal contact and conversations with passengers unlike other public transport modes such as a bus or Metro. So, they talk to passengers about politics and hold conversations, thereby serving as an effective mode of political communication and have the capacity to form public opinion. So, in a way, they are a better target group to amplify opinion than slum dwellers,” said Tanvir Aeijaz, associate professor, Ramjas College.

In the past decade, they have actively canvassed for political parties, and taken part in rallies and meetings. While AAP used autos extensively during its campaigns in 2013 and 2015, other parties also used autorickshaws to run anti-AAP messages. Leaders of auto drivers unions — there are about two dozen of them—claim to be “non-political”, although most are affiliated with a political party.

“Before the election date was announced, AAP, BJP and Congress, all put up posters on autorickshaws. They don’t pay for these posters and drivers only do it if the autorickshaw owners ask them or if parties give them a shawl, or clothes. We offer free and mobile publicity. If we put posters now after elections are announced, we can be penalised. So, the posters are gone, but nearly every passenger wants to talk about elections now and we discuss who we think are better candidates,” says Jai Prakash, who drives his autorickshaw around the Old Delhi Railway Station.

Targeted outreach

During the previous assembly elections in 2020, AAP announced an 18.75% hike on existing autorickshaw fares, waived fitness test fees and significantly scaled down various charges, including penalties. In response, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari also actively courted autorickshaw drivers by distributing masks and travelling to press conferences in autorickshaws.

This time is no different.

Over the past month, all key political players announced a slew of sops to woo autorickshaw drivers, and get their unions and families to pledge their support in the elections.

On December 10, 2024, the AAP promised to implement ₹10 lakh life insurance and ₹5 lakh accident insurance for every autorickshaw driver upon winning the elections. It also announced ₹1 lakh support for their daughters’ weddings, ₹2,500 allowance twice a year for uniforms, complete monetary support for their children to undergo coaching for competitive exams and revival of the “PoochO” app—which was to include auto drivers’ phone numbers for citizens to avail of rides—first announced in the run-up to the 2015 elections.

“Auto drivers played crucial role in my first election victory. I trust they will once again ensure every passenger votes for the AAP,” Kejriwal said while announcing his promises and sharing a meal with an autorickshaw driver and his family at their home in New Kondli.

Six days later, the BJP announced it had garnered the support of over 1,000 autorickshaw drivers from west and central Delhi. “As elections approach, Kejriwal is making new promises, but autorickshaw drivers are demanding an account of what he has done for them over the past decade,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.

On January 7, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Delhi BJP announced the immediate reduction of autorickshaw parking charges from ₹708 to ₹200 and black-and-yellow taxi parking charges from ₹1,180 to ₹400. BJP also promised to fulfil other demands of the Delhi Auto Drivers Association and Delhi Divisional Coolie Union upon winning the elections.

Autorickshaw driver Prakash said that while their unions are politically driven, and drivers usually go with the union’s choice, many also make their independent decisions.

“We are affiliated with the CPI, but the party is only contesting on six seats. So, we will look at the local candidates and decide who to support on the rest 64 seats. All major parties make big promises but after elections we are the first when action has to be taken. People claim that autorickshaws were polluting, so the number of licences were curbed. Now, they find other excuses to seize autorickshaws that are released only after we pay bribe,” said NS Mansoori, Delhi president of the NCR Auto Taxi Transport Federation.

‘Promises unkept’

In the run-up to the 2013 assembly elections, the city saw a bitter fight between the Congress and the AAP over advertisements on autorickshaws, with NGO Nyay Bhoomi , which claims to work with 10,000 autorickshaw drivers extending their support to the AAP.

However, since then, autorickshaw drivers said they are not totally happy with the city-state’s governance. Admitting that many of their longstanding demands were fulfilled, they said the AAP government has, however, failed to rein in app-based services, did not set up sufficient parking stands and did not set up the promised welfare board.

Autorickshaw drivers expressed discomfort with political parties who have not tried to appeal the cap on the number of autorickshaws while e-rickshaws have mushroomed uncontrollably. A 2011 order by the Supreme Court caps the number at 100,000.

Noorpal Solanki who has been driving an autorickshaw for 34 years around the Anand Vihar bus depot, said: “Most autorickshaw drivers supported the AAP thinking that we were being victimised by the previous government. We have seen the AAP in the last 10 years and they have also not done much (for us). They claimed to be the most honest; but the transport department still runs on bribery like it did a decade ago. The situation is the same under every regime. So, at this point we can only vote for those who promise welfare.”

As the campaign intensifies, one thing is clear: the humble autorickshaw driver, crisscrossing Delhi’s chaotic streets, remains at the heart of the city’s political pulse.