Despite a large section of West Delhi’s residents being unhappy about unemployment, sealing issue, water crisis and pot-holed roads, there is a popular voice that the electorate shall keep larger issues of the country in mind while casting votes.
Apart from local issues, caste and community factors are some main factors that will influence the voters of West Delhi. Sikh, Jat, Punjabi and Poorvanchali voters will continue to play a crucial role in West Delhi seat which has two Jat and one Poorvanchali candidates in the fray. Jat votes likely to be divided this time because of the candidates among the community.
The resident of West Delhi wants unemployment, sealing issue, water crisis should be the prime concern of the elected representative from the area.
With 23,71,561 voters and 10 Assembly constituencies of Madipur, Rajouri Garden, Hari Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri, Vikaspuri, Uttam Nagar, Dwarka, Matiala and Najafgarh, the West Delhi parliamentary seat will go to polls along with six other seats in Delhi on 12 May.
West Delhi was considered a Congress stronghold. The party candidate Mahabal Mishra won the seat in 2009 understandably with the support of Poorvanchali as well as Sikh and Punjabi voters.
However, in the 2014 elections the situation changed after the Aam Aadmi Party’s made its foray in politics. AAP candidate Jarnail Singh contested from West Delhi seat and the Congress went down to the third position. In 2014 the BJP candidate wrested the seat from the Congress after Parvesh Verma secured 48.30 per cent votes. AAP and Congress garnered 28.38 per cent and 14.33 per cent votes respectively.
The BJP’s victory was believed to be because of a formidable Jat candidate who despite getting the majority of votes from his community received support from Sikhs and Punjabis as well as Poorvanchalis.
Incumbent MP Verma is locked in a contest with another Jat and AAP nominee Balbir Singh Jakhar and Mahabal Mishra.
People feel that it could have been tough for the BJP to ensure victory from the seat if an alliance had taken place between the AAP and the Congress, but that did not happen. A Janakpuri resident Gurvinder Singh, speaking the voice of other residents of the area, proclaimed that it would be an easy victory for Verma.
It may be recalled that Parvesh Verma is a son of former chief minister Sahib Singh Verma who drew Jat community towards the BJP fold. Like father, the son has maintained his hold among Jat voters.
With Verma, Meanwhile, BJP leaders are optimistic of winning the support of the community which is one of the decisive factors in West Delhi seat. In 2009 BJP had to pay a heavy price for ignoring Verma for Jagdish Mukhi from the seat. That move led to protest against the party by the Jat community. Mukhi was defeated by 1.30 lakh votes by Congress candidate Mahabal Mishra.
In West Delhi, the Jat vote has been seen as a decisive factor. There are 90 villages in the constituency, of which 70 are rural with a high percentage of Jats.
Verma had recently held a series of discussions with local BJP leaders and party workers. He feels confident that village residents will overwhelmingly vote for him. Other than Jats, he is banking on support from Punjabi, Sikh and Poorvanchali voters, who had voted for the BJP last in last general elections in large numbers.
Film star Sunny Deol, who is a fellow Jat, is expected to attend a mega rally in favour of Parvesh Verma on Thursday.
Nonetheless, there are issues of unemployment, sealing drive resulting in huge losses to traders, access to quality education and cleaner environment.
Dwarka is part of the vast constituency where locals are dissatisfied with open drainage in many areas. There is a nullah (drain) that runs through the Dwarka and serves as an open drain for the breeding of mosquitoes, a resident of Sector 6 Ashwini Garg lamented.
AAP leaders had promised to cover the drain but could not deliver on their promise after they assumed power in the state four years ago, Garg recounted.
Another resident, Raj Kumar, felt that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has to address local issues like sealing, drainage system, water crisis and potholes on roads. He spoke out his mind while stating that Modi proved himself to be a strong leader after an air strike in Balakot and a surgical strike in PoK earlier.
Residents of Rajouri Garden have a lot of complaints with the AAP government who they said failed to provide them with benefits they had promised. “We have been living on rent from the past 20-25 years. Our landlords get free water and reduced electricity bills promised by Kejriwal but we have to pay to the landlords in full,” lamented Sanjoy Kumar, a resident of Janakpuri.
Zulfiquar Ali, a resident of Matiala, had an opinion in contrast: “Kejriwal has done good work at the state level. The school infrastructure has definitely improved. There is no denying that he has done good work.” He, however, rued that the AAP was not in contention to form the government at the Centre.
“I will address all local issues if voted to power but we need full statehood to change the face of Delhi,” AAP candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar said.
Meanwhile, Mishra, during the course of his campaign has claimed: “I will develop the area through education and will set up west campus like north and south campuses. Sealing is an important issue in Delhi. Unlike BJP, I will not hamper the livelihood of small traders to bring in big malls.”