NEW DELHI:
From Old Rajinder Nagar to Indperpuri JJ Colony and Naraina — in Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency where bypoll will be conducted on June 23 — a common issue connects people from all walks of life: water.
People from Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency told The Hindu that they either face a water shortage or receive water that is contaminated by an overflowing sewer.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced Durgesh Pathak as its candidate from the constituency, who has been campaigning in the area for at least a week. Against AAP candidate the BJP has fielded Rajesh Bhatia, a former councillor from the area.
The seat fell vacant after AAP leader Raghav Chadha, who was the local MLA, resigned after being nominated for a Rajya Sabha seat by his party.
Vox populi
“We get water only twice a day. Once in the morning for 10-15 minutes and then only in the evening, and the water we get is not fit for consumption,” said Munna Varma, 43, a painter, who lives in a shack in Inderpuri.
Rajesh Kumar, 36, a resident of Old Rajinder Nagar said that the water shortage this year was worse than last year’s.
“On many days we hardly get any water. There are four families living in our building and a tanker of water, which we get for ₹1,300, only lasts for one or at most two days,” said Mr. Kumar. He said the residents have to rely on private tankers as Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) tankers do not arrive on time.
Sanjay Kumar, 25, who lives in Shadipur, said that the quality of the supplied water was the bigger problem.
“The sewerage sometimes overflows from the manholes and mixes with our water supply through the pipeline which is broken at several places,” he said.
Arjun Garg, 26, who lives in Naraina and is preparing for government exams, said the area has seen a lot of development since the AAP came to power.
“You can’t compare AAP with the BJP. AAP has been working on issues such as free electricity and water that affect ordinary people. But the BJP is working on larger issues such as national security,” said Mr. Garg.
Hitting right notes
Going through various areas of Rajinder Nagar and observing the hoardings put up by AAP and the BJP gives one a sense of their poll planks.
“Till when will Rajinder Nagar suffer because of AAP? Till when will people drink dirty water and fall ill? Does AAP have an answer” reads one political hoarding put up by the BJP.
Meanwhile, the AAP has once again put up banners asking for votes in the name of its supremo. “This election, give your vote to Kejriwal again,” read most of AAP’s banners.
Sources in the BJP say that the party was also considering its national spokesperson RP Singh as its candidate Rajinder Nagar. However, Mr. Bhatia not only checked all the right boxes, given the constituency’s demography but was also given a thumbs up in a survey of the seat conducted by the party.
“He is a known face in the area, who belongs to the Punjabi community that forms a large chunk of votes in Rajinder Nagar and, during his tenure as a councillor, is known to have accomplished many public service projects,” another party leader said.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said Mr. Bhatia was “fully aware of the streets and the problems of Rajinder Nagar”.
“Rajesh Bhatia is a resident and has been doing public service for years. Whereas the Aam Aadmi Party has imported a candidate for Rajinder Nagar who was earlier rejected by the people of Karawal Nagar,” Mr. Gupta said.
AAP meanwhile is talking about the welfare schemes and development works announced by the Delhi government. A party leader said that AAP is working on a door-to-door campaign and leading a “positive campaign” in the area.
