CAIT campaign to consolidate traders into one vote bank

To persuade them to vote leaving aside political affiliations

Declaring its intent to consolidate the 19 lakh traders of Delhi into a ‘vote bank’, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Sunday said it would start a campaign to persuade them to vote leaving aside political affiliations.

To this end, up to 150 meetings have been held at commercial markets across the city, the traders’ body said. CAIT’s Delhi State president, Vipin Ahuja, said that a final decision on which party or candidate to back would be taken only once responses are received on its recently circulated ‘National Charter of Traders’.

Among problems faced by the traders in the city, Mr. Ahuja highlighted the sealing drive, issues arising out of the Rent Act, alleged corruption in the municipal corporations, the deteriorating conditions of commercial markets which lack proper infrastructure, security, parking facilities among others.

Hits out at BJP

Attacking the BJP, Mr. Ahuja said that as a consequence of being considered the “core vote bank” of the party, other political parties did not approach the community, while the BJP neglected their issues as well.

The CAIT said that traders would have an important role to play in the Chandni Chowk constituency, where it says four lakh voters are traders.

Apart form this, the traders’ body added that there are two lakh traders in the New Delhi constituency and “..in the South Delhi seat out of about 19 lakh voters nearly 2 lakh voters; on North-East Delhi seat out of about 22 lakh voters about 3 lakh voters are traders; on East Delhi seat out of about 21 lakh voters about 2.5 lakh voters are traders, whereas on West Delhi seat out of about 22 lakh voters the traders constitute 2.75 lakh voters and on North-West Delhi seat out of 23 lakh voters about 3 lakh are trader voters”.