Elect our candidate, will add him to mohalla WhatsApp groups: AAP MLA

Vows that all issues on group will be resolved at the earliest

May 11, 2019 07:25 am | Updated 07:26 am IST - New Delhi

Somnath Bharti

Somnath Bharti

AAP MLA from Malviya Nagar Somnath Bharti endorsed party candidate for New Delhi Lok Sabha seat Brijesh Goyal to a crowd, promising them that if elected, the latter would be added to their WhatsApp groups.

Mr. Bharti has divided his Assembly constituency into 35 mohallas and each has a WhatsApp group.

“If you elect the MP that AAP and I tell you to, our first work will be to add his number to all [WhatsApp] groups. Then as soon as any police issue is shared or anything is posted in the group by DDA people, the MP will respond. Is it a good proposal? If good, then applaud it,” Mr. Bharti said.

People post their problems from non-availability of water, broken roads, sewers, street lights to thefts among others in the WhatsApp groups, he said.

Some mohallas have even more than one group and the Malviya Nagar Assembly constituency, which forms a part of the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, has a total of 53 such groups.

Mr. Bharti typed “noted” and sent it to respond to a complaint on the WhatsApp group, ‘34 mohalla sabha official’, and forwarded it to another group, ‘DJB officials’.

“It is not easy to be part of 53 groups. If you do not respond on time people do not spare you,” he said.

The complaints received in the groups, which were started three years back, are forwarded to officials by Mr. Bharti or the in-charges of each group to further resolve it.

At 10.03 a.m. on Friday, Ritu Sikri (44) had posted a complaint in ‘18 mohalla sabha official’ group, regarding unwanted wild plants in the service lane that “can be a perfect place for mosquito breeding”.

At 10.25 a.m., group coordinator Purnam Kar (59) responded to the complaint with a message that read: “Complaint forwarded to SDMC”.

“A senior citizen from our RWA had told me about the group after which I joined it and this was my first complaint. I have been informed that the officials are busy with the election and it will be resolved by Wednesday. I hope it happens,” said, Ms. Sikri, a resident of SDA near Haus Khas.

Meanwhile, Amita Chaudhari (44), a resident of X block of Hauz Khas, said she has seen complaints posted in her 34-number group getting resolved.

“I have seen many people responding with ‘thanks’ after their problems were resolved,” she said, adding, “However, I have also seen some issues being repeatedly raised.”

Mr. Kar, however, said all complaints received in the groups are resolved. “I work closely with Somnath ji and we resolve all the problems,” he said.

At times, the coordinator steps in when a few posts are found to be personal. The MLA also said now the civic bodies and the police do not always respond to the complaints received and once the MP is added to the groups, those complaints would be sorted much faster.

He said the idea of creating the groups was to make the representatives available to the public. “I do not need a campaign for my next election in these areas. I am in touch with around 13,500 families, through the groups,” the confident MLA said.

As Mr. Bharti got busy seeing visitors, a WhatsApp notification popped up on his mobile phone screen. It read: “20,505 messages from 376 chats.”

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