From caste loyalties to the promise of freebies to the hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could somehow turn around the municipalities, the factors playing out in the minds of voters ahead of the municipal elections are difficult to predict.
On Sunday, Najafgarh, Krishna Nagar and Shakur Basti constituencies, where the AAP won in 2015 with margins of 0.97%, 1.66% and 2.97%, respectively, are likely to see a bitter battle again.
Caste politics has been at the centre in Najafgarh, where MLA Kailash Gahlot won with the narrowest margin. But young voters say that the focus is turning to development.
“Our generation has suffered because of caste politics. It is mainly the reason why most parts of Najafgarh still do not get piped water, or have proper roads, schools and hospitals. Crime is also at its peak,” said 28-year-old Mridul Singh, a resident of Roshanpura village.
A local resident watches water pipeline being laid at Roshan Pura, Paprawat Road Najafgarh in New Delhi .
For others, however, things are changing. Last year, 65-year-old Bhoop Singh saw piped water supply reach his New Roshanpura neighbourhood. The area was earlier dependent on expensive water supply from tankers.
“My family has been voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But after the AAP came to power, the problem of water has been solved. There has been a start,” said Mr. Singh.
‘Modi wave is strong’
Many residents, however, felt that the municipal elections could swing any way. “The mood of the voters is different. The Modi wave is also pretty strong in the country,” said Shriman Shastri, a government school teacher and resident of Dichaon Kalan.
While Mr. Modi may be on the minds of some, others are thinking of local problems like garbage dumps.
“Trash is not picked up every day. Once in a few weeks, it is cleared from a pile at the end of the street where everyone dumps household trash,” said 41-year-old Jhumri Devi.
In east Delhi’s Krishna Nagar, where MLA S.K. Bagga narrowly beat BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi in 2015, residents are upset over damaged roads, illegal parking and overflowing garbage from collection points.
According to many, however, local relationships are expected to play a larger role in the civic elections compared to issue-based solutions being offered by contestants.
Ashok Arora, a resident of Rani Garden, alleged that Mr. Bagga “didn’t have time for residents in two years”.
‘AAP has no clue’
“The AAP has been in power for two years, but they have no clue about what to do for the area. Local Congress councillor Bansi Lal was very helpful when there was an acute garbage problem during the strikes by sanitation workers,” said Mr. Arora.
Mr. Bagga, meanwhile, said that though sanitation and drainage were important issues, corruption in the municipal bodies was a more pressing concern. “Representatives of the councillor blackmail residents over building by-laws. The municipal corporations are a den of corruption, which is why the AAP needs to be voted to power,” he said.
Elsewhere in the constituency, a pot-holed main road in Jheel Khurenja had garbage strewn across, even as the fruit and vegetable market was abuzz with activity. A rickshaw puller here sported a t-shirt with a picture of BJP heavyweight and Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on it.
“This is traditionally a BJP-dominated area, but only during the Assembly elections. The municipal elections are comparatively smaller, so we vote for those who have been accessible over time,” said Ritesh Gupta, a resident of Ram Nagar.
In Shakur Basti, where Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain won with a narrow margin two years ago, the three municipal wards — Saraswati Vihar, Rani Bagh and Paschim Vihar — comprise mostly of planned colonies. The AAP’s free water and power schemes don’t seem to have made too much difference, though residents of slum clusters here sing a different tune.
Rupesh Tilokani, a businessman from Saraswati Vihar, said the unreliable water supply was a major concern.
“We gave the AAP a chance, but nothing seems to have changed. The MLA’s office is in the next street, but we haven’t seen him,” he said.
Sanitation still a concern
Atma Prakash, another Saraswati Vihar resident, said that basic amenities, whether provided by the Delhi government or the municipality, left a lot to be desired. “Cleanliness around markets is poor. New water lines have been laid, but road repair has been left hanging. Sewers routinely get choked,” said Mr. Prakash.
For Paschim Vihar resident Veeru, who runs a fruit shop in the A-5 market, corruption in the local municipal body and the police had been a constant. “All political parties are the same. They only make an appearance during elections. The AAP has not been able to reduce petty corruption,” he said.
