For many residents of the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, shortage of drinking water and lack of sanitation facilities are the major issues they will be keeping in mind when they go to vote on May 12.
For others, however, such “local issues” do not matter as much since the general election “is for choosing the Prime Minister”.
When Aam Aadmi Party’s South Delhi candidate Raghav Chadha took out a roadshow in Ghitorni village, residents expressed displeasure over water shortage in the area and lack of sanitation facilities.
Bulbul Singh, owner of a small vegetable shop, said: “Do you see the open drain right next to the shop? The AAP leaders just walked past it yet they still hope that we will vote for them. Do you think they care to notice the filth lying here, and the fact that we are living in such conditions? Our vote is for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as at least with the Balakot attack he has proved that someone cares about the country.”
Sixty-five-year-old Jagwati, a housewife, said: “For the last four years we have been asking for proper water connections and tubewells [from the AAP government] but have not got it yet. Why should we vote for them [AAP] if they cannot provide basic facilities like water? Now we are looking above our local MP and will bring back Mr. Modi to power who is working so hard for the nation.”
‘An obvious choice’
For Dilshad Babu, a grocery store owner residing in Mahipalpur, ‘ jhadu [AAP symbol]’ is the “obvious” choice as the pipelines have reached his area. “Mr. Kejriwal has worked hard for our area and it is because of him that we have pipelines and regular water supply. Residents are happy and satisfied and we will vote for AAP. We are not concerned with who the other candidates are,” he added.
Forty-year old Mohammad Taufique, a resident of Khanpur, echoed the sentiment and said that the Delhi government is responsible for the “development” in his area. “We are very satisfied with the AAP government and we are loyal voters of AAP. It is because of them that the persistent problem of water shortage and lack of sanitation facilities have been solved. What has the Prime Minister really achieved for the country? He is busy visiting other countries and making false promises,” he said, adding that he would support Mr. Kejriwal even as a PM candidate.
Some residents, however, said they will vote in the general election keeping in mind “national perspective” rather than “local issues”.
‘Not Assembly election’
“We have to realise that this is not the Assembly election and we should not focus so much on the local issues. The Kejriwal led-government has worked in our area by providing better facilities, including good government schools. But in the Lok Sabha election, we will vote for Mr. Modi as we need to choose a PM and not a MLA,” said Ankit Goyal, a resident of Tigri.
Forty-five-year-old Niranjan Kumar Singh, an insurance agent, said that by questioning Mr. Modi on the Balakot airstrikes, Mr. Kejriwal had “proved that he was on Pakistan’s side”.
“My family had voted for Mr. Kejriwal in the Assembly election but now that he has become the spokesperson for Pakistan, there is no way that we will vote for him. Now that the Prime Minister has proved that he has the nation’s best interests in mind, we will vote for him. He has made a place for India in the world, which nobody ever did. The BJP will get all seven seats in Delhi because it is all about bringing Mr. Modi back to power,” Mr. Singh said.
When asked whether Congress candidate boxer-turned-politician Vijender Singh’s star power would help in the upcoming election, Mr. Niranjan Singh said: “Voters are a lot more aware now and will not fooled by such celebrity candidates.”
Neb Sarai resident Darshan Singh, however, had a different view: “Our local MP [BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri] has not done anything much to improve our living condition here. It is unfortunate that he got a ticket again. AAP is also not showing much vigour and so we will vote for Vijender Singh. After all he has some achievements of his own too.”
Sixty-two-year-old Mahender Singh, a resident of Bijwasan and owner of a garment shop, said that “there is no other option but Modi”. “We have been Congress loyalists since the Indira Gandhi era. Even in Delhi, we supported it for 15 years when Sheila Dikshit was Chief Minister. But now there is hardly any Congress left. As for AAP, they came to power by criticising and attacking the erstwhile Congress government but they were ready to get into an alliance with them. How can we rely on them? It is Mr. Modi’s time and he will be back as PM,” he added.
