North East Delhi voters upbeat about triangular contest

Issues such as open drains, bad water quality, unsafe streets remain primary concerns but residents don’t expect much to change

May 03, 2019 01:43 am | Updated 01:43 am IST - New Delhi

The people of North East Delhi want to vote for better roads and sanitation, improved water quality and supply, drains that are at least covered if not necessarily cleaner, safer streets and a Member of Parliament who will visit them “more than once every five years”.

Whether they will do so, however, in the face of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s image There Is No Alternative (TINA), nationalism and national security pitches — personified by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — is a matter of debate.

According to government statistics, close to 300 unauthorised colonies and 46 slum clusters across the Assembly constituencies of Burari, Timarpur, Seemapuri, Rohtash Nagar, Seelampur, Ghonda, Babarpur, Gokulpur, Mustafabad and Karawal Nagar constitute the rural-urban, Poorvanchali-Muslim DNA of the seat, which has more eyes on these elections than in the past.

What makes the contest special this time, in addition to its triangular nature, is the prestige attached to the seat what with the State chiefs of the two largest political parties in the country — the BJP’s Manoj Tiwari and the Congress’ Sheila Dikshit — in addition to the Aam Aadmi Party’s former Delhi convener Dilip Pandey staking claim to it.

Besides the issues that the residents claim plague their areas, most voters in the constituency seem united on just one more aspect: the certainty of a photo finish.

Talking development

Neighbourhood streets across the parliamentary constituency, especially those in areas such as Burari, Seemapuri, Rohtash Nagar, Seelampur, Mustafabad and Karawal Nagar are waterlogged and dug-up or broken to the point of non-existence and present a stark contrast to the newly opened — Signature Bridge, also a tourist spot.

‘Clean’ drains are a bigger rarity than covered ones and a street corner bereft of garbage is impossible to come across. Traffic problems and congestion are as ubiquitous as the swarms of e-rickshaws that constitute the latter, with the circuitous Delhi Metro network operating silently amid hoardings of Mr. Modi proclaiming the nationwide achievements of his government and Mr. Kejriwal demanding full statehood for Delhi.

Ironically, the promise of “development” underlines each of the three contestants’ respective electoral battle cries. Given these circumstances on the ground, the varying definitions of this development, which is being promised to them seem to have put voters in a fix.

Apart from his own star power, Mr. Modi’s face and the “achievements of his government at the Centre”, the “positive transformation” of the Capital into a modern city by three successive Congress governments and the incumbent AAP government’s “improvements” of its education, health, water and power sectors form the core of Mr. Tiwari’s, Ms. Dikshit’s and Mr. Pandey’s campaigns, respectively.

Aur koi nahin hai to Modi sahi hai [If there is no one else, Modi is the correct choice],” said Karan Singh, a resident of Sant Nagar in Burari. “I left this area to work abroad four years ago and have returned for a holiday. The quality of the streets and sanitation has, obviously, become worse,” he added.

Modiji ka naam tamatar ki tarah ho gaya hai; khana banana hai to jaisa bhi mil raha hai, sakht hai ya pilpila, khareedna padega hi; aur koi vikalp nahin hai. [Modi’s name is tantamount to a tomato; if you have to cook, you have to buy and use whatever is available in the market, whether the tomato is firm or not doesn't matter; there is no alternative],” chuckled H.N. Prasad, an Indian Army veteran, who retired in 2011 and resides in Burari.

“No one who has been elected from this parliamentary seat has done anything for the area and we have no hope that this fact will change. It is better to focus on the big picture that these elections are to elect the Prime Minister of the country, not local leaders,” Mr. Singh added.

Vimla Devi (name changed), a resident of Babarpur, complained that incumbent MP Manoj Tiwari had “done nothing” for his constituency over the last five years “just like the Congress [Delhi] governments of the past”. “AAP has done very good work since it formed the [Delhi] government. They gave us free power and water,” she argued. “They are also providing better facilities at hospitals in the city,” her daughter-in-law Renu (name changed), added.

“Despite being in power for several years, from top to bottom, the Congress did not do anything for the area. AAP at least got some of our roads built and brought drains to some our galis [bylanes],” her mother-in-law said further.

Shaan Mohammad, a mechanic, seemed to exemplify the average north-east Delhi voters’ dilemma.

“This area has always been a Congress bastion and will definitely vote for Sheila Dikshit this time. Her experience and the transformation that her government brought to the area are reasons enough for us to vote for her again,” he argued.

“AAP promised to authorise colonies but these are yet to be authorised. Where are the CCTVs cameras that we were promised? Honestly, I am a little confused; though I still want Modi ji to become the Prime Minister again, I don’t know whether I want to vote for Manoj Tiwari again,” he added.

‘Wave’ vs ‘reputation’

Mohammad Abdul (18), a first-time voter from Maujpur, complained of the condition of the local drainage system. “Whether you are a Hindu or a Muslim, would you like sewer water on your clothes when you are proceeding to pray? There is sewage water that collects outside both temples and mosques across Maujpur and Babarpur. No one wants to do anything about it,” he said.

“We will vote for the Congress like our families have been but that is not because I want Rahul Gandhi to be Prime Minister. My family has faith in Sheila Dikshit and only she can do something about our condition like she had once done when she used to be the Chief Minister. Her reputation will make sure that she sails through,” he added. Another first-time voter, Mohammad Afzal (19), praised the “roads and highways that Modi ji has made. “Sanitation is a major issue in this constituency. The condition in the unauthorised colonies is the worst. The improvement of drains and streets had started but is yet to be completed,” he claimed.

Neha Bisht, a resident of Subhash Park in Rohtash Nagar, said her neighbourhood was experiencing muddle-headedness. She added that she has made up her mind.

“There are many shopkeepers and traders in the area who have a very negative image of Mr. Modi because of GST and demonetisation. Because of Ms. Dikshit’s candidature, whom they have seen do a lot of work, they are supporting her,” the young coaching institute professional said.

“But, the younger lot have praised the Prime Minister. I am one of them – but not because of issues like national security and Balakot but because he has one a lot of work especially in terms of road and highway,” she added. Sachin Kumar, a resident of Sonia Vihar, said, “Our roads are filled with garbage. Mr. Tiwari has not been here or done anything for the area in the last five years. But, the work Mr. Modi has done is enough for us to make a choice.”

Rina Kumari (name changed), a resident of the Timarpur village, pointed towards trash floating on an open, overflowing drain. “Look at the conditions that we live in. It is worse than the animals’ cages. We know that the BJP is responsible for sanitation in our area. We will vote for AAP,” she said. The main Karawal Nagar road is not motorable. Mounds of trash are lying on the side along with construction and sludge from the drainage. Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said work is in process.

“The wind here is supposedly in the favour of the BJP and that is precisely why I will vote for Ms. Dikshit. We have had enough of the apathy that Mr. Tiwari treats us with. Only Sheila ji can do something for us,” said Rahul Singh, a resident of the Karawal Village near Mustafabad.

At the Mishra pan stall near Mukundpur village, Mr. Manoj Mishra (name changed) declares there is a “one-sided vote for Modi” in his area despite “the fact that no one has seen Mr. Tiwari here in the last five years.”

“If it comes to public connect, not many people know Dilip Pandey. Because Mr. Modi is right as far as decisions on a national scale are concerned, things are in his favour; even if you, an outsider, stand for the election on a BJP ticket, you will win from here. There is, simply, no other option,” Mr. Mishra said.

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