NEW DELHI: While the polling was still underway in Rajinder Nagar on Thursday, AAP and BJP candidates claimed they are going to win the bypoll. A war of words also ensued between AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and BJP’s poll candidate Rajesh Bhatia after both of them voted.
Calling himself a local resident of Rajinder Nagar, Rajesh Bhatia said, “Definitely, I am going to win and I will get more than 80% votes.” He added that he grew up in Rajinder Nagar and he knows the issues of the area. Terming AAP’s MP Raghav Chadha (former MLA of Rajinder Nagar) as a runaway, Bhatia said that BJP will leave no stones unturned for the development of the area that the AAP government didn’t focus on.
Chadha after casting his vote at the Vidya Bhawan GSSS polling booth said that people will vote to get a corruption-free government. “AAP is going to win this constituency for the third consecutive time, as AAP is the only party which asks for a vote in the name of development,” Chadha added. Chadha also requested voters to come out of their homes and vote for a healthy democracy.
AAP MLA Sourabh Bhardwaj was also at the polling booth accompanying Raghav Chadha. AAP candidate Durgesh Pathak said that AAP’s development work will ensure its victory in the bypoll. This election also witnessed the lacklustre Congress party.
Kiran Walia, while talking to The New Indian Express, said that both the BJP and AAP run the government of advertisements and it was former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who actually used taxpayers’ money for the development of the capital city. "We will serve people if voted to power," added Walia.
A mixed response from the voters was received regarding the election and the development in the area. According to a voter: “Development work should be the prime focus, especially solve solving water and sewer issues, whosoever wins the election.”