Parties scramble to woo Poorvanchalis who dominate 20 Delhi assembly constituencies

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The Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party have dived headlong into the capital's Chhath vote-bank days ahead of next week's four-day festivities to worship the sun god. 

The two parties are vying with each other to court the capital's sizeable Poorvanchali community which dominates more than 20 assembly constituencies. 

So the BJP city unit announced that it will deploy nearly 1.5 lakh workers to collaborate with municipal corporations in preparing Chhath ghats across the city, a day after the AAP government announced sprucing up of the sites for the festival.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Friday night met nearly 300 representatives of Chhath puja committees in Delhi and promised them proper facilities during the festival as he also accused chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of indulging in petty politics over the issue. 

Devotees perform Chhath Pooja at India Gate in New Delhi (file photo)

Chhath puja has always been a political issue in Delhi given the large population of Poorvanchalis in the city. 

There are an estimated 50 lakh migrant voters from states like Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, who are called Poorvanchalis. 

More than two dozen assembly constituencies in Delhi have Poorvanchali populations of up to 47 per cent. 

The Poorvanchali dominated assembly constituencies are Burari, Seemapuri, Gokalpuri, Karawal Nagar, Kirari, Badli, Nangloi, Rithala, Matiala, Vikaspuri, Dwarka, Uttam Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Deoli, Badarpur, Tughlakabad, Patparganj, Laxmi Nagar, Wazirpur and Rajinder Nagar. 

While AAP is Delhi's ruling party, the BJP is in power at the Centre and in the city's civic bodies. 

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (file photo)

Office bearers of the Chhath puja committees told Tiwari that no arrangements for the prayers were made in many parts of Delhi including Kirari, Mehrauli and south Delhi. 

They also alleged that only four days were left and temporary ghats in parks as announced by Kejriwal were yet to be constructed. 

Tiwari assured them that all the three municipal corporations of Delhi and thousands of BJP workers will try their best to solve the problems being faced in observing Chhath puja. 

Tiwari said: 'The Delhi BJP workers will help the officers and employees of the Municipal Corporations and also do 'shramdan' at the ghats so that the devotees do not face any problem. The sentiment of lakhs of Poorvanchalis is associated with Chhath festival. BJP will arrange for tents and other amenities at Chhath ghats for the convenience of devotees.' 

Party insiders said about 1.5 lakh Delhi BJP workers will join the municipal employees to clean and make the necessary arrangements in the city at the puja ghats for four days. 

Tiwari himself will do shramdan on Sunday afternoon at a Chhath ghat on Yamuna banks in Sonia Vihar. 

In regards to maintaining an adequate water level in the river, Tiwari also spoke to Haryana chief minister and BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar.

He said: 'The Haryana CM has assured that the government will release additional water for two days during the Chhath puja.

Leader of opposition in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta also accused the Arvind Kejriwal government of cheating over 50 lakh Pooravanchalis.