Delhi polls: Bidhuri row spices up triangular contest

Election battle making headlines courtesy of its ‘sharp-tongued’ contestant while residents complain of civic woes.
Kalkaji assembly constituency is  set to witness a triangular contest as the incumbent Chief Minister Atishi, two-time former BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri and the All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba.
Kalkaji assembly constituency is set to witness a triangular contest as the incumbent Chief Minister Atishi, two-time former BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri and the All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba.(File Photo)
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NEW DELHI: Famed for its temples, the Kalkaji assembly constituency is set to witness a triangular contest as the incumbent Chief Minister Atishi, seeking a second term as MLA, faces the two-time former BJP MP from South Delhi Ramesh Bidhuri and the All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba.

With the battle lines drawn, the contest has already made headlines, courtesy of its ‘sharp-tongued’ contestants.

Ramesh Bidhuri, famed for his ‘colourful’ remarks on the floor of the Parliament, has returned with similar vociferous enunciations and a ‘vicious’ vocabulary. His lastest display came a couple of days back, when he likened his competitor Atishi to a ‘hirni’ (doe).

AAP left no quarters in issuing a rebuttal to the BJP, calling it a ‘gaalibaaj’ (abusive) party for the remarks against the incumbent Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Alka Lamba has her sights aimed at both Atishi and Bidhuri, calling both out for neglecting the constituency as she flagged the poor condition of roads and highlighted the ‘sorry state’ of several civic amenities in the area.

The assembly gained political prominence in the past years, being represented by Atishi – a minister who came to occupy several significant portfolios in the Kejriwal cabinet, until she herself took over as the chief minister after the latter resigned.

In 2020, Atishi won the seat after defeating BJP’s Dharambir by over 11,000 votes.

Situated between Okhla and Greater Kailash, the Kalkaji assembly seat – comprising Maharani Bagh, Ishwar Nagar, New Friends Colony, Bharat Nagar, Sarai Jullena, Sukhdev Vihar, East of Kailash, Kalkaji, and Govindpuri areas – forms a bridge between disparate worlds and people.

Talking about the major issues endured by the people inhabiting the diverse urban topography, residents said they have raised concerns over a range of civic woes that demand urgent attention.

There is frustration over accumulation of garbage on street corners, non-functional street lights, and irregular maintenance of parks.

Main roads in the area, lined with trees, may seem well-maintained; but the by-lanes have a very different story, lined with potholes to be filled with water during monsoons, making it a very difficult commute. Majority of the residents complained of vendors setting up their ‘thelas’ on the side of roads, leading to significant congestion.

Kalkaji is marked by binary; while one side is developed and well-maintained, the other endures civic amnesia. Voters here are mostly migrants from ‘purvanchal’ and Bengal, and the AAP has enjoyed their support in previous Assembly polls.

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