On paper, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) 35-year-old East Delhi candidate Kuldeep Kumar may appear a novice compared to his rival, BJP’s 58-year-old Harsh Malhotra. The BJP nominee was elected councillor in 2012 when Mr. Kumar was still in college. However, a closer look shows that the AAP candidate is no pushover.
The background
Mr. Kumar joined active politics 12 years ago when he participated in the Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption (IAC) movement (the precursor to AAP) as a pamphlet-distributing volunteer. At the age of 27, he became the youngest councillor of Delhi when he won the 2017 municipal election from east Delhi’s Kalyanpuri ward. Three years later, he became an MLA by winning the Kondli reserved seat in the 2020 Assembly election. And now Mr. Kumar, who hails from the Scheduled Caste community, is fighting on an even bigger stage — the East Delhi parliamentary constituency, which is a non-reserved seat.
Working-class family
“Like most who knocked on the Capital’s doors for a better life, my father came here from Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh) and worked as a manual labourer. He also worked as a rickshaw puller and a sanitation worker with the MCD [Municipal Corporation of Delhi] to ensure that we had access to education and enough food on our plates,” says Mr. Kumar.
The AAP leader says that growing up, he was fond of playing cricket and chess and was considering a career in law or civil services.
However, he ended up joining the IAC and then AAP. “I realised my interest lay in electoral politics,” he says.
He claims the rival camp has tried to undermine his campaign by disparaging his humble background.
“They are going to people asking them how can they vote for the son of a safai karamchari [sanitation worker], as if it is a crime to be born to working-class parents,” he says.
Since filing his nomination papers, Mr. Kumar has been following the same routine every day: waking up at 5 a.m., taking a stroll in a park, participating in campaign activities (which include leading roadshows and walkathons as well as interacting with voters and party workers), and hitting the bed at 11 p.m. He also holds meetings in the neighbourhood parks of gated societies and meets people in slums and JJ clusters.
People’s issues
The AAP nominee, fondly referred to by his friends and supporters as “Monu”, says he understands the problems of the poor as he was born and raised in a 200 sq ft house in an unauthorised colony in Mandawali.
“I understand the struggle of a person who lives in an area like Trilokpuri, which has unauthorised colonies and a mixed population, because I have lived in one. My experience as an MLA has also taught me about the issues faced by people who live in posh areas like Preet Vihar,” he says.
“I know the constituency like the back of my hand. Unlike the previous MPs, I am not an outsider,” he added.
“Baba Saheb Ambedkar taught us that an elected representative’s primary task is to uplift the marginalised. That is what I hope to do after getting elected,” he adds.
Mr. Kumar takes objection to being called a “Dalit leader”. “I am a leader of masses, not just one community,” he says.
Wish list
Mr. Kumar says getting rid of the garbage mound in Ghazipur is at the top of his agenda. “I’ll ensure it disappears within the next two to three years,” he says.
He also plans to repurpose vacant Delhi Development Authority land to build parks, schools, and Mohalla Clinics, launch a drive against drug abuse, improve law and order and ensure better connectivity in the area.
