Narela to Karawal Nagar: A poll journey across Delhi’s 70 constituencies

2 hours ago 1

As Delhi voted connected Wednesday, The Indian Express travelled crossed the city, from constituency no. 1 (Narela) to constituency no. 70 (Karawal Nagar), and recovered that radical voted for amended roads, cleanable water, a remedy for pollution, garbage-free streets, and a compassionate government.

Sakshi Chand, Ankita Upadhyay, Gayathri Mani, Sohini Ghosh, Vidheesha Kuntamalla, Nirbhay Thakur, Upasika Singhal, Saman Husain, Pragynesh, Sophiya Mathew, Neetika Jha, Devansh Mittal & Ishfaq Bhat report.

There is palpable choler  among a ample  fig   of people, particularly  the mediate  class, who unrecorded  successful  upscale gated colonies, erstwhile   it comes to freebies oregon  subsidies offered by the AAP authorities  – escaped  energy  up   to 200 units, escaped  h2o  arsenic  good   arsenic  escaped  autobus  rides for women, among others. Security astatine a polling presumption astatine Jafrabad, seelampur constituency, successful New Delhi connected Wednesday. (EXPRESS PHOTO BY PRAVEEN KHANNA)

New Delhi

It is 6.30 am. The bosom of the Capital — comprising 1.09 lakh voters – is geared up for a big-ticket contention which volition possibly awesome who volition regularisation Delhi erstwhile results are declared connected Saturday.

At polling presumption 44, adjacent Sanchar Bhawan successful the New Delhi constituency, stands a antheral successful a grey sweater, with a chiseled face. He is successful a hurry. “I judge the predetermination this clip volition beryllium precise close. Some radical privation change. I’ve travel early… couldn’t hold to vote,” says Desraj, 43.

Festive offer

New Delhi is possibly the astir heated conflict successful this Capital contest, arsenic Delhi’s erstwhile Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal goes toed to toed with Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit (son of erstwhile Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit) and BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh (son of Delhi’s erstwhile CM Sahib Singh Verma).

Two km distant from Sanchar Bhawan is Nirman Bhawan – a polling presumption wherever 1,100 voters are registered. Among these voters are 2 large faces – Parvesh and Congress Leader and LoP Rahul Gandhi.

Story continues beneath this ad

Delhi Assembly polls, Delhi Assembly elections, Delhi elections, 70 Assembly constituencies, AAP, BJP, elector  turnout, 2020 Assembly polls, 2024 Lok Sabha elections, North East district, South East district, Election Commission, district-wise data, polling stations, Mustafabad, Seelampur, Karol Bagh, electorate, first-time voters, candidates, results, February 8, high-stakes elections, campaign, Congress, canvass  sops, women, youth, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer, peaceful polling, elector  inconvenience, BJP allegations, wealth  distribution, complaints, fake news, societal  media, zero-tolerance, enforcement agencies, seizures, cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, freebies, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Arvind Kejriwal, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, S Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri. Outside polling booth successful CR Park. (Gajendra Yadav)

For Akshat, 23, who voted for the archetypal clip astatine a polling presumption adjacent a schoolhouse successful Laxmi Bai Nagar, contamination and deficiency of nationalist transport are the main issues. “I privation determination were much buses. A bully nationalist transport strategy is indispensable for Delhi. I besides privation to unrecorded successful a pollution-free Delhi.”

Nine kilometres distant is C R Park successful the Greater Kailash constituency, which has 13 polling stations. On the mode to the stations which are successful proximity to each different are assorted tables wherever polling agents belonging to the AAP and the BJP – the main rivals successful this predetermination – are sitting.

“We’ve been instructed by our enactment to cheque EVMs and their batteries… whether they’re afloat charged oregon not,” says Chandan (41), a polling cause from AAP.

Chandni Chowk

Story continues beneath this ad

Haiderpur and Shalimar villages successful the Shalimar Bagh constituency are buzzing astatine 7.27 am. Officers from the Delhi Police and the Central Armed Police Force are connected the ground, making definite everything is acceptable for voters.

At 8 am, Sushma Malik (51), a otherwise abled woman, comes connected her retrofitted scooter with her lad Aryan Malik (19). Volunteers put a wheelchair and escort her inside. As she comes out, she says: “I voted for improvement. Better roads, amended traffic, cleanliness.”

Though galore radical accidental they are voting for ‘vikas (development)’ and ‘badlav (change)’, they besides adhd they are satisfied with the existent government.

In the Adarsh Nagar Assembly constituency, a beardown stench permeates the aerial astatine the Azadpur Sabzi Mandi. Residents successful the country are linked to the sprawling marketplace – either arsenic rootlike store owners, arsenic workers oregon arsenic retailers who bargain from the wholesale market.

Story continues beneath this ad

Maine apna kartavya poora kiya (I fulfilled my duty),” says 72-year-old Umesh Prasad, a elector from the adjacent Bharola colony who runs a rootlike shop.

Jo bhi sarkar bane autobus nirdhan ko pareshan na karey (Whoever forms the authorities should not occupation the poor).”

While the mediocre request compassion, residents of the precocious and middle-income radical successful the posh colony of Model Town voted against freebies.

The sentiment besides echoes successful Hudson Lane, a portion of the Timarpur assembly constituency, wherever galore voters spoke astir rising contamination levels.
Dr Ruchi Singh, a elector from the area, demands that whoever forms the authorities should bring betterment successful the lives of the precocious mediate people arsenic well. “We don’t privation freebies, we privation amended roads and infrastructure.”

Northwest Delhi

Story continues beneath this ad

From the narrow, potholed streets of agrarian Rithala to the landscaped, gated colonies of Rohini Sector 13, the opposition is stark.

In Rithala’s Vijay Vihar Phase 1, the archetypal happening that hits 1 is the odor of sewage wafting done the air, mingling with the particulate kicked up by the question of pedestrians and rickety two-wheelers. The constrictive streets are riddled with potholes, immoderate ample capable to cod stagnant h2o from caller rains.

The polling booth astatine the authorities superior schoolhouse — Dilli Rithala Prathmik Vidyalaya — is an old, unassuming structure.

Among the voters is Fatima Bhano, a 38-year-old parent of two, who stands extracurricular the polling booth, visibly frustrated. Her sanction was missing from the elector list. “They’re asking maine to spell to Sector 4 to vote. How is that fair?” she asks.
For Bhano, inflation and precocious energy bills are the superior issues. “Even successful winter, erstwhile we hardly usage electricity, the bills are truthful high. How are we expected to manage?”

Story continues beneath this ad

Despite her constricted means, Bhano sends her children to backstage schools. “Government schools are successful unspeakable condition. It’s each a amusement — they prevarication astir schools being great, but they are not,” she says.

Down the road, 68-year-old Ameerka Devi, a housewife, has conscionable formed her vote. She spoke of her struggles with accessing cleanable water: “The h2o present is not potable. I’ve been drinking it for years, and it’s caused tummy infections.”

As 1 leaves Rithala, the odor of sewage fades, giving mode to the wide, cleanable streets of Rohini Sector 13. Here, gated communities with manicured parks and high-rise flat complexes predominate the area.
Outside a booth, 43-year-old banker Jyoti Godara and 44-year-old service serviceman Abhishek Kumar stock their disillusionment with the contiguous government.

A first-time voter, 18-year-old Srishti Garg, disagrees. “I’m contented with however things are here, but I bash anticipation the authorities takes stronger enactment connected issues similar pollution,” says the instrumentality aspirant.

West Delhi

Story continues beneath this ad

The polling presumption of Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya (GSKV) no. 2 successful Khyala colony of Rajouri Garden constituency, labelled arsenic ‘Model Polling Station’, is abuzz astatine 9.30 am.

Devender Singh (56) and his parent Charanjit Kaur (82) accidental 1 of the pressing issues for them this predetermination is inflation. “The remainder does not matter. This is an concern country truthful we person energy cuts for arsenic agelong arsenic 4 hours during summer. We person voted for each imaginable enactment successful the past but we’ve besides seen that determination has been nary change.”

At 12.30 p.m. successful Tilak Nagar constituency’s Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya — polling presumption no.2 — the BJP polling agents accidental voting has been dilatory successful the greeting but volition prime up soon.
The constituency besides includes the Widow Colony, wherever survivors of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots reside. There is nary Congress booth extracurricular the station.

Atar Kaur, 65, who lived successful Trilokpuri earlier the riots broke out, mislaid 15 members of her family, including her hubby to the riots. “Humare aansu bas Modi ne hullo poche (Only Modi dried our tears). Whatever small happened for us, was done by him,” she says.

Story continues beneath this ad

At the SC reserved spot of Madipur, Hansraj Model School is an anomaly, with its voters from the upscale Punjabi Bagh extension.

Ruby Singh (56) and Gagan Kaur (32), some voters successful the area, accidental aerial contamination is simply a talking constituent for them. “We spell overseas and realise we are truthful acold down successful each facet — education, roads, cleanliness. Every clip they enforce GRAP-3 oregon GRAP-4 erstwhile contamination goes up, we are straight affected. This is nary mode to tackle pollution…”
Around 3 pm, successful Vikaspuri constituency, lone BJP polling agents stay extracurricular the polling presumption of Government Co-Ed Senior Secondary School astatine Bakkarwala which has 5 polling booths.

Near Chanchal Park, Akash Singh, 28, an subordinate successful a backstage firm, says determination has been a diminution successful the popularity of AAP. “Water is free, but is unusable. I person my ain home, but inactive wage the energy bill.”

At 4.15 p.m. successful Najafgarh constituency’s polling station, Green Valley School, which sees voters chiefly from the Maksudabad Colony, the assemblage has thinned out.

R P Sharma, 70, a retired cardinal authorities employee, says the BJP has done good to take a caller campaigner for the constituency — Neelam Pahalwan, alternatively of Kailash Gahlot, the erstwhile AAP MLA from the country who has joined the BJP.

Northeast Delhi

A roadworthy cuts Chandu Nagar and divides it into 2 assemblies. On 1 broadside is Adarsh Lakhpat Model Secondary School collecting votes for Karawal Nagar portion connected the different broadside stands New Sandhya Public Secondary School which collects votes for Mustafabad.

Both schools spot a dependable travel of voters from 7 am, increasing arsenic the hours tick away. The constrictive bylanes connected the Karwal Nagar broadside seemed to overflow with saffron pennants portion the Mustafabad broadside looked barren of immoderate enactment paraphernalia.

Deen Mohammad (59) and Hakim Mallick (54) are waiting for a person to formed his ballot connected the Mustafabad side. They accidental they volition ballot for a enactment that has a accidental to win. “There is nary mode Tahir (Hussain, AIMIM campaigner and an accused successful the riots conspiracy case) volition win,” says Mohammad, explaining wherefore helium won’t ballot for AIMIM.

Samira (29), who is lasting nearby, can’t incorporate her indignation. “Main toh patang ko ballot dungi (Well, I’ll ballot for the kite, AIMIM’s canvass symbol),” she says.

In Kamal Nagar, the Hindu-dominant country of Mustafabad, saffron flags and pennants flutter from the ramparts of astir each house. “Dekhiye swasthya aur shiksha zaruri hai lekin uss se pehle zinda rehna zaruri hai. Zinda rehne ke liye zaruri hai dharm (Look wellness and acquisition are important but earlier that 1 indispensable request to survive. To past you request dharma),” says a voter, Shiv Kumar (50).

Around 4 km away, successful Babarpur, 17-year-old Anmol Verma, a unpaid astatine the Sant Parmanand Public School, Mohanpuri, is helping a bushed Trilochan Singh (79), who had difficulties walking, to formed his vote.
Singh is capable to ballot without hold portion a queue persist different arsenic residents support turning up. After casting his vote, helium says, “Kejriwal has done a batch for schools, and wellness by mounting up mohalla clinics, escaped energy for 200 units. The Centre has besides done immoderate work. We person ration cards. But due to the fact that of the BJP, bade logon ko zyada faida hua (rich radical person benefited more).”

South Delhi

In Kalkaji, from wherever Chief Minister Atishi is going up against BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’s Alka Lamba, the streets person been swept clean. Polling agents draped successful symbol-less scarves beryllium astatine their desks, urging residents to measurement retired and vote. “We person worked precise hard for the party, and we judge our campaigner (Ramesh Bidhuri) should get a chance,” says Vandana Sethi, 58, a BJP polling agent.
Soon, Atishi arrives to formed her vote. The CM’s neighbour, Sunita Maini, 69 says, “My begetter was a kattar (staunch) Congressi who fought for India’s independence. He utilized to accidental adjacent if a canine stood for Congress, we should ballot for it. But now, that logic makes nary sense. The enactment being done present — sanitation, h2o supply, healthcare, energy — is good.”

Voter sentiments are mixed crossed constituencies. While immoderate voted based connected governance and services, others formed their ballots against ostentation and economical concerns.

Outside Ambedkar Nagar’s Sona Modern Public School, Kulvir Singh, 51, an operations caput astatine a firm firm, is successful heavy treatment with a person who is simply a Kendriya Vidyalaya principal. “Apart from freebies, economical well-being is necessary,” Singh says. The main adds, “We looked astatine manifestos cautiously and are voting for the 1 that aligns with our idiosyncratic aspirations.”

At a booth adjacent Sainik Farms, successful Mehrauli constituency, wherever DMRC operation chokes the roads with particulate and congestion, an irate voter, clad successful a trendy overgarment and sunglasses, rushes past, exasperated. “I volition not beryllium voting again — this was torturous!” she says, attributing her vexation to booth mismanagement.

As the time progresses and South Delhi’s constituencies attack the past limb of voting, urgency picks up. At the Mehrauli Dargah booth, Khatoon Bano reflects connected her vote, shaped by the caller question of demolitions that displaced galore successful her area. “We volition vote, keeping this successful mind,” she says.

East Delhi

In ‘jamna-paar’, the time began with airy rainfall and voting picked up lone astir 10 am.

In Patparganj — wherever erstwhile Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is the outgoing MLA and is contesting this clip from Jangpura – galore assertion owed to accrued anti-incumbency, alteration seems to beryllium the buzzword.

Agrim Kulsheshta, 22, the archetypal 1 to ballot astatine Mayur Vihar pouch 3, polling booth fig 99 and 100, says, “I formed my ballot for change… Mayur Vihar houses a bully fig of developed apartments but the areas present deficiency development… As you measurement retired of your house, you consciousness similar you are successful hell… from postulation jams to poisonous air, potholed roads…”

In enactment to formed his ballot astatine Trilokpuri constituency, Dharmendra, a WiFi supplier said, “We don’t person to constituent retired thing due to the fact that everything present is successful the open… I would person voted for AAP if they had repaired thing oregon astatine slightest provided a sewer connection… My ballot has gone to the enactment that is reasoning astir the upliftment of Dalits.”

Trilokpuri, a reserved constituency, has a sizable migrant colonisation settled from Theni and Tirunelveli districts of Tamil Nadu.

One of them, Annaveli (65), says, “I came present with a six-month toddler astir 55 years agone from Tamil Nadu… Block 22 wherever a ample fig of Tamilians unrecorded faces a h2o crisis… Sometimes, we get stinking water… during the rain, h2o enters our home….”

Her friend, Pungavanam, says, “The full artifact was settled by Indira Gandhi amma… We request much radical similar her and Jayalalithaa… Jhadu (AAP) enactment is besides bully but pensions don’t travel connected time…”

In Laxmi Nagar, wherever BJP is presently successful power, Archit Gupta, who works astatine All India Radio said, “My ballot has gone against freebies… I privation caller air, congestion-free roads and footpaths to walk…. hospitals and schools…”

In Shaheen Bagh which comes nether Okhla constituency, Huma, a objective psychologist, appreciated BJP’s committedness of providing “free gestation kits and Rs 21,000 to large women.”

“I consciousness this is simply a large strategy due to the fact that the facilities for large women successful Delhi are not good… I consciousness if specified a strategy is implemented, mothers, particularly azygous mothers volition get a batch of help…,” she says.

In the contentious Jangpura constituency, 80-year-old MK Tandon says: “I formed my ballot astatine 8 am… I privation a double-engine authorities this time. I person a crushed due to the fact that Manish Sisodia went to jailhouse successful a liquor scam and helium held respective portfolios… helium did nothing… Roads are truthful mediocre successful a posh country similar this…”

*** Disclaimer: This Article is auto-aggregated by a Rss Api Program and has not been created or edited by Nandigram Times

(Note: This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News Rss Api. News.nandigramtimes.com Staff may not have modified or edited the content body.

Please visit the Source Website that deserves the credit and responsibility for creating this content.)

Watch Live | Source Article