NEW DELHI: “Only 24 hours are left for the official campaign; how long will you keep misleading people? Let us discuss the real issues of the people of North East Delhi in front of them for once.
Come tomorrow to Gokalpuri Ward, at 3 pm, near State Bank of India, Mangal Bazaar Road,” says Kanhaiya Kumar, the Congress candidate from North East Delhi, while challenging his rival–BJP MP Manoj Tiwari.
Several voters of the constituency this paper spoke to recognise Kanhaiya as a strong orator, a confident voice, an idealist, young blood, and somebody who sounds promising.
Amid the flags with the symbols of hand (Congress) and brooms (AAP) flying high and hundreds of supporters, including children, women, and elderly wearing party caps and mufflers, Kanhaiya at a rooftop of a car along Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal late on Tuesday night addresses the public in Bhajanpura, saying, “Unity is our strength, love is the only solution.
We will form the next government.” “Kanhaiya carries an elder brother image and we respect him and his ideology. As the first-time voters who wish to see a drastic change in this ‘Jamnapaar’ part of Delhi, we want him.” says a group of youngsters attending his rally.
According to the former JNU leader, the BJP believes in “polarisation” but not in development and highlighted the local issues—rising crime rate and quality of amenities.
But not many are taking his assertion seriously. “We strongly believe that the BJP will continue to make its hold, and we don’t have any place for the new people, especially the ones who don’t even belong to Delhi,” a resident who did not wish to be named said. The former CPI leader from Bihar carries an “outsider tag.” So does the BJP’s Manoj Tiwari. The Bhojpuri singer-actor-turned-politician has been ruling the seat—which has significant Purvanchali—since 2014 and is the only sitting MP of the seven in Delhi who is not replaced by the BJP.
‘Tiwari is experienced’
Several elderly people said that Kanhaiya’s presence is not as strong as Tiwari’s since the latter is experienced and knows every corner of the constituency, while Kanhaiya is still trying to explore.