THE GLEAMING Signature Bridge over the Yamuna, inaugurated last November, has become a hotspot for selfie seekers. It has made northeast Delhi much more accessible and has become a symbol for progress and modernity. The northeast region itself, however, has not kept pace with progress and lags other regions in Delhi on several parameters. It has some middle- and upper middle-class pockets, but most of the region is covered with slums, bad roads, congested lanes and open drains. And as the region, part of the North East Delhi constituency, prepares for a heated contest on May 12, these issues will play on the voter’s mind.
Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who has come out of semi-retirement to revive the Delhi Congress, is taking on incumbent and BJP state president Manoj Tiwari and former Delhi AAP convener Dilip Pandey.
The constituency, carved out of East Delhi in 2008, is home to about 300 of 800 unauthorised colonies in the capital. J.P. Agarwal had won the 2009 Lok Sabha election, defeating BJP’s B.L. Sharma by more than 2.2 lakh votes. In 2014, Tiwari rode to victory on the Modi wave and his own popularity with the Purvanchali voters in the region. He beat Agarwal by more than 3.8 lakh votes.
Purvanchalis (people from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) form a major chunk of the 22.4 lakh population, and are an important vote bank. And the BJP feels that Tiwari, a famous Bhojpuri actor, will retain their votes. The AAP, knowing this, has fielded Pandey, who hails from eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The Purvanchalis, along with the sizeable Muslim and dalit population in the area, have traditionally voted for the Congress. Lately though, they have turned to the AAP.
To regain these votes, the Congress has fielded the veteran Dikshit, who still has a lot of goodwill among the people of Delhi. Her main election plank is her proven history as an administrator. She reminds voters that though Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the Signature Bridge, it was her government that had commissioned it. She also plays up other achievements, such as the Sonia Vihar water treatment plant, and welfare schemes such as pension for widows and the elderly.
Sitaram Verma, a 32-year-old migrant from Ghazipur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, says that with Dikshit entering the fray, there is confusion among the voters. “The AAP has done some good work,” he says. “There is a lot of relief in electricity rates. Schools and hospitals have improved. But there is a lot of respect for Sheila Dikshit. It is unclear whom we will opt for.” Tiwari himself admits that, with Dikshit’s entry, “The fight is between the BJP and the Congress.”
Dikshit, however, has few kind words for her opponent. “The people of North East Delhi are angry with their current MP as he has failed in his duties,” she says. “I am pained to see that many areas in this constituency do not have roads. There is garbage piled up everywhere.”
But Tiwari’s campaign in not based on local issues; Prime Minister Narendra Modi is his trump card. “Only one line needs to be said in this election,” he says. “If in 2014, Modiji stood for hope, in 2019, he personifies trust.”
This seems to be a smart move on Tiwari’s part, given that he is facing anti-incumbency. Says Narendra Kumar, a driver who came to Delhi from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh two decades ago: “We have not seen him in the last five years. He appears only for Chhath Puja. But he might still get votes in Modi’s name.”
Pandey, on the other hand, has gone hyperlocal with his campaign. He has been campaigning ever since he was made Lok Sabha in-charge for the region, several months ago. According to his team, Pandey has been listening to voters’ grievances and providing solutions. The AAP even says that Pandey has done more for the constituency than Tiwari.
Says Shahrukh Shaifi, a first-time voter: “I am very impressed with the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal. Dilip bhaiya has already done a lot for our area.” He adds that Dikshit was too old to make an impact.
This echoed the mood among the young Muslims of the area. The seniors in the community, however, prefer Dikshit. For instance, Islam Behrampurwale, 58, says he has always been a Congress voter and would remain so.
And this split, not only among the Muslims, but across anti-BJP voters, has worried the AAP. Pandey has been appealing to the people not to vote for the Congress, and is dismissive of Dikshit. “She was not sure of where to contest from,” he says. “First, it was East Delhi, then Chandni Chowk and finally North East Delhi. She does not know the new party workers.”
The triangular fight in North East Delhi is certainly not easy to call.