NEW DELHI: Nestled in the heart of Delhi, Kasturba Nagar is a microcosm of stark contrasts, ranging from the upscale Defence Colony to the bustling slums near Mehar Chand Market. The constituency also includes other varied areas such as South Extension, Lodhi Road, INA, Pillanji, Kotla Mubarakpur, Lajpat Nagar, Wazir Nagar, Sewa Nagar, Jang Pura Extension, Andrews Ganj, and Sadiq Nagar.
Residents of Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, INA, and Andrews Ganj have voiced their contentment with their locality’s development. “Apart from occasional traffic disruptions, our essential needs are met. The cleanliness of roads and parks and regular garbage collection might be why politicians seldom focus on us,” commented Aakash Negi, a longstanding resident of Defence Colony.
Conversely, the narrative differs significantly in places like South Extension, Wazir Nagar, and Kotla Mubarakpur. “We continuously face longstanding issues that remain unaddressed. Despite the affluence that surrounds us, we endure life in cramped, littered streets with poor sanitation and sporadic water supply,” shared Bimla Devi from Kotla Mubarakpur.
Historically, Kasturba Nagar was a stronghold for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), controlling the seat from 1993 until 2008. Since 2013, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Madan Lal has held the seat. He secured a significant win over BJP’s Ravinder Choudhry in 2015 by a margin of almost 16,000 votes, although his lead narrowed to just 3,000 votes in the 2020 elections.
Part of the larger New Delhi parliamentary constituency, it has shown strong support for the BJP in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the forthcoming elections, the BJP has nominated Bansuri Swaraj, a Supreme Court lawyer and daughter of the late Union Minister and former Delhi Chief Minister Sushma Swaraj, replacing incumbent MP Meenakshi Lekhi.
Bansuri will compete against Somnath Bharti of the INDIA alliance, another seasoned lawyer who has won three consecutive terms from the prominent Malviya Nagar assembly constituency.