The average rural voter seemed concerned with more issues than his or her urban counterpart on Saturday.
Prices of essential goods, services in addition to the availability and cost of education dominated voters’ minds across rural constituencies while voters from semi-urban and middle-class neighbourhoods said they mostly voted in the interests of “a balance between the Central and Delhi” governments.
“I voted for lower power and water prices – which all parties have promised - but our local candidate’s promise of building more schools with affordable fees for children in our village made me choose him over the others,” said Sarita Dhingan (32), a resident of the Gopalpur village in Najafgarh.
Arvind Kumar and his mother Kamlesh Devi (65), said while power and water prices were their immediate concerns, the availability of quality education in Najafgarh was an issue that concerned the future of their family as much as that of several others.
Pramila and her daughter Deepali wanted more security, an accessible local leader and rising prices to their list of priorities. “We’re making the same choice as we did last year because we sensed a change for around two months last year; our only wish is that it sustains this time around,” Deepali said.
In the vicinity of the omnipresent Delhi Metro line which is characteristic of the Capital’s landscape irrespective of classifications of urban or rural, voters said they exercised their franchise with the objective of having a stable government at the helm.
Amit Jain, who owns and operates a medical facility, sought a stable government. “I've voted for a clear mandate and against indecisiveness. Delhi needs a lasting government which is above petty skirmishes with its political opponents,” he said.
At the Matiala Assembly constituency near Dwarka, voters insisted that a non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Delhi was “essential” to ensure a strong opposition.
“A strong opposition is as essential as a stable government in a Parliamentary democracy,” said Anil Sangwan, a government servant.
Voters in areas such as Tagore Garden, Rajouri Garden and Tilak Nagar said they had voted “for change”. “The time vote-bank politics is over,” said Sardar Kulwant Singh. “In these times of technology, we don’t need our votes to be extorted out of us in return for ‘protection’. I’ve voted for a party that promises to address local issues instead of one which has kept reminding me of the (anti-Sikh) riots of 1984.”
