NEW DELHI: Located along Pushta road in east Delhi, Gandhi Nagar assembly is well known for its historic and Asia’s biggest wholesale market.
It has over 25,000 shops and 10,000 household manufacturing units, generating a daily turnover of more than Rs 100 crore. Despite its economic importance, the market’s share in the garment trade has been declining due to inadequate infrastructure.
Two years ago, the Delhi government, in its Rozgaar budget 2022-24 announced a re-development plan according to which Gandhi Nagar was to be transformed into a great garment hub of Asia.
However, the project never started. The failed promise is now playing a major role in affecting the voting behaviour of the traders and the residents of this assembly.
The plan included resurfacing of the main Gandhi Nagar road and 2 km of arterial roads within the market area, which would serve as the primary transit routes. To facilitate commuter movement, the construction of two multi-level car parks at Pushta Road and Shastri Park near C&D plant was proposed, with last-mile connectivity from the Shastri Park metro station via golf carts. The drainage system was to be upgraded with reinforced cement concrete-type drains.
One of the traders, Asim Khan said, “The year when the government planned this, we had celebrated out of excitement that we will be a part of a big shopping hub, however, not even a single shop transformed. We don’t have any reasons to vote for AAP this time.”
In 2020, Gandhi Nagar legislative assembly constituency had total 1, 82,831 electors and total number of valid votes was 1, 14,507. BJP candidate Anil Kumar Bajpai won and became MLA from this seat after securing a total 48,824 votes. AAP candidate Naveen Chaudhary stood second with a total 42,745 votes. He lost by 6,079 votes.
The primary contest in the 2020 Delhi assembly election was between the ruling AAP and the BJP. In the 2015 Delhi assembly election, Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP almost registered a clean sweep, winning 67 of Delhi’s 70 constituencies. The BJP won the remaining three while the Congress drew a blank. There are three wards of the Gandhi Nagar assembly constituency are Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Park and Azad Nagar.