Locking horns in East Delhi parliamentary constituency, one of the largest and most thickly populated constituencies not only in Delhi but in India, the three major parties including the Congress, the BJP and the AAP have fielded relatively young candidates ~ all under 41 years.

The constituency comprises areas east of the Yamuna, popularly known as transYamuna. It has a large population spread over rather uniformly but some major areas are Seelampur, Shahdara, Gandhi Nagar and Preet Vihar.

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The BJP has fielded famous cricketer Gautam Gambhir whom it expects shall get the benefit of his star image. Nonetheless, AAP candidate Atishi is expected to put up a good fight as shall Arvinder Singh Lovely of the Congress, to make it a tight triangular contest.

The East Delhi constituency comprises 14 Assembly segments that include Anand Vihar, Azad Nagar, Jhilmil, Kalyan Puri, Laxmi Nagar, Man Sarover, Mayur Vihar, New Seema Puri, Nirman Vihar, Patparganj, Shahdra, Shivaji Park, Yamuna Vihar and Vivek Vihar.

The areas under this constituency are near Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. Asia’s biggest hosiery market Gandhi Nagar is located in this area. Small wonder then traders comprise nearly 20 per cent of the electorate.

While the traders believed to be inclined towards the BJP, 20 per cent of the population in the area is Poorvanchali who majorly reside in Shakarpur, Vinod Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Mayur Vihar and Shahdra. On the other hand in Mandawli, Laxmi Nagar and Mayur Vihar Phase III nearly 10 per cent population are that of migrants from Uttaranchal. Along ethnic lines, Muslims are followed by Punjabi and Brahmins.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate Maheish Girri won the seat by securing 5,72,202. AAP candidate Rajmohan Gandhi got 3,81,739 while the Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit got 2,03,240 votes.

However, AAP swept the Delhi Assembly elections and apparently with work in the education and health sectors along with rebates in power and water tariffs, people of the area expressed their satisfaction with the functioning of the Delhi government.

Praising AAP’s work, a barber from Seemapuri Babu Salman said, “AAP has worked a lot for us and after its effort, there is a remarkable improvement in our education system and they have also channelised the health services of the area very well. But at the end of the day, we need to have a strong government to run the country. AAP has alleged time and again that due to impediments by the Central Government the state government could not perform as according to its promises. So now I will vote for a powerful government at the Centre (alluding to the Congress).”

Over last five years, the general feeling among voters in the constituency is common on one issue. They want to vote for a party that can deliver at the Centre.

In 2014 all the Lok Sabha seats of Delhi went to BJP. The picture was in contrast in the Assembly elections. The AAP was first, winning 67 of 70 seats; others nowhere. BJP could only limp home with three seats.

Kuldeep Singh a resident of Jhilmil and an auto driver stated, “We need a strong prime ministerial candidate and other than BJP no other party has fielded a face for that position.”

A majority of the electorate in the constituency draw attention to colonies that have not been regularised notwithstanding promises from all parties for long. They are known to be facing problems related to security, blocked sewers , encroachment and poor roads.

According to Feroz a pharmacist from Mayur Vihar: “In a triangular fight and both AAP and Congress draw equal support from those who are anti-BJP. As a consequence, the saffron party emerges victorious. Had they both come (Congress and AAP) together, there would have been no confusion in the mind of the voters.”

The voter count in East Delhi constituency is 20,38,270. That includes 11,28,885 men and 9,09,306 women while 79 are transgender. While the BJP is campaigning with nationalism as its main plank, the Congress is pitching for developmental work carried out during the reign of Sheila Dikhit as also the discomfort brought about by sealing drive against commercial establishments The AAP, meanwhile has made the issue of full statehood for Delhi its major issue along with local issues like that of Ghazipur landfill, parking at market places and a separate campus for East Delhi.

As for candidates, Gautam Gambhir has pledged his commitment to serve Delhi’ites: “I have never done anything in life half-heartedly, I always give my 100 per cent to my work with complete dedication and just like my cricketing career, my political career will be transparent and dedicated to public service.”

Arvinder Singh Lovely blamed the AAP of “helping” the BJP. Accusing AAP he alleged: “Now they are trying to take revenge and helping BJP by splitting the anti-BJP votes. Their candidates are mostly campaigning in minority areas and avoiding any visit to area considered to be BJP strongholds”.

Not to be left behind, AAP candidate Atishi has hit out at the celebrity candidate fielded by the BJP: “Delhi has never been one for celebrity candidates. Many celebrities have lost elections in Delhi.”

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