A walk through Seelampur’s streets, where piles of garbage dot nearly each corner, is sufficient to see that the Muslim-dominated Assembly constituency in North-East Delhi lacks in basic amenities.
Open sewers is one of the prime talking points in the Assembly segment, where Congress strongman Mateen Ahmad has not lost an election in over the past two decades. This despite the strong anti-incumbency factor against the Sheila Dikshit government in 2013.
This time, Mr. Ahmad is up against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sanjay Jain and Aam Aadmi Party’s Haji Ishraq. A section within the community feels the emergence of the AAP, perceived to be in direct contest with the BJP this time round, has increased its “options”.
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“In the last couple of years, we did not feel like we had a choice. So the community voted for the Congress. In 2013, the AAP was new and people were hesitant to vote for them as nobody expected them to win. However, a majority of us voted for the AAP during the Lok Sabha polls. Though a decision on who to vote for will be taken according to the situation, things are surely different this time round,” said area resident Ahmed Sultan.
The voters in the constituency, which is home to several unauthorised colonies, say development is one of the key issues that is being discussed this time round.
“This is a locality full of problems. There are heaps of garbage everywhere and the sewer system is terrible. And of course, the increased traffic makes even walking a nightmare,” said Rajpal Singh, a resident who said he was a school-teacher in the area.
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On Wednesday, BJP’s Sanjay Jain campaigned with party’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, who promised that development is the only agenda of her party.