NEW DELHI: Mehrauli, a prominent locality within the South Delhi constituency, holds the distinction of being one of the seven medieval cities that constitute the present union territory of Delhi. While Mehrauli may appear like any other ordinary neighbourhood today, its historical significance lies in its architecture.
The Mehrauli Assembly Constituency comprises three municipal wards—Lado Sarai (W), Mehrauli, and Vasant Kunj—each represented by women councillors in the MCD. Kishangarh was removed from the list of wards following a delimitation exercise in 2022.
The battle for the Mehrauli seat remained predominantly bipolar between the Congress and BJP until 2013. However, since 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party has secured victory in the seat for two consecutive terms.
In the Vidhan Sabha elections of 2020, Naresh Yadav of the AAP party emerged victorious with 62,417 votes, with Kusum Khatri of the BJP party as the runner-up. The margin of victory was 18,161 votes.
In the Vidhan Sabha elections of 2015, Naresh Yadav of the AAP party secured victory with 58,125 votes, while Sarita Chaudhary of the BJP party was the runner-up. The margin of victory was 16,951 votes.
In 2013, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Pravesh Sahib Singh clinched the seat, while in 2008, the Congress party emerged victorious with Dr. Yoganand Shashtri as the elected MLA.
According to data shared by the Election Commission, a total of 1,46,92,136 voters are registered in the assembly.
The current geographical structure of the Mehrauli constituency came into existence in 2008 as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India, which was constituted in 2002. Subsequently, it was included in the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency along with nine other Assembly segments, namely, Bijwasan, Sangam Vihar, Ambedkar Nagar, Chhatarpur, Deoli, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad, Palam, and Badarpur.
Residents highlighted encroachment and the continuous loss of green cover as major concerns plaguing the locality.
Encroachment on roads and footpaths is the primary issue. “Traffic congestion is a constant problem. What used to be a few minutes’ drive from Vasant Kunj to the ring road now takes an hour,” said Amit Aggarwal, the former president of Vasant Kunj RWA.
Aggarwal further noted that encroachment extends beyond roads, with forest areas being transformed into playgrounds and cultural sites. “With the complicity of authorities, the regional park in Kishangarh has now turned into a residential area. The remaining green cover is under threat due to events such as Ramleela and other festivals. The lungs of this locality are being decimated,” he stated.
Aggarwal also mentioned that in 1992, DDA declared a 37-acre area of the South Central Ridge as Samriti Van, where only 1,500 trees remain. “The rest were cut down for various purposes. We had to approach the NGT to compel the DDA to plant saplings, but even those are in poor condition due to lack of maintenance,” he added.
From the South Delhi constituency, the BJP has replaced its two-time MP Ramesh Bidhuri with Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. The Congress-AAP alliance has announce its joint candidate—Sahiram Pehalwan. The polling will take place on May 25 with counting on June 4.