NEW DELHI: It’s the nerve centre of the country — outwardly spick and span — with swanky roads, spacious boulevards and the hub of the big and mighty.
The New Delhi Assembly constituency is also the power centre, housing multiple government offices, official residences of top leaders and bureaucrats and replete with a large number of government quarters.
Its significance lies in having been the seat of the best known political faces — Sheila Dikshit earlier; Arvind Kejriwal CM of Delhi, now.
It caused a big tumult in 2013, when ‘outsider,’ Arvind Kejriwal, the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award winner came in from the blue to beat Sheila — a three-time popular CM of Delhi — by 25,000 votes in a humdinger. It shocked the nation. But the history of the national capital was changed that day.
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BJP leader Kirti Azad had aspired to it but lost to Dikshit after winning it once in 1993. But there has been an in-built asymmetry in the constituency too, for, not too far from the gated communities of the powerful, the constituency is also home to thousands who populate the vast acres under JJ clusters in areas like Kali Badi and Valmiki Colony and actually decide who owns New Delhi.
Kejriwal, was an automatic starter for AAP but there is a sense of mystery over whom would the BJP field to take him on. On the kerbs and in the bylanes, there is apparent support for AAP — an undercurrent which could cut through opposition.
While many laud his initiatives in health, education, power and transport, there is that startling question once a while, “Where are the jobs?”
Saroj, 50, an NDMC employee of Valmiki Colony said: “I am the only person in my family who has a job. My kids are worthy of being employed. My daughter-in-law is a graduate but has been unable to find work. At NDMC, they employ those who bribe them…nothing for the rest.”
In the same locality, Bala, 45, also had complaints against unemployment but said Kejriwal and his party is making an effort but BJP plays spoilsport.
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At Gandhi Sadan that also houses NDMC employees, 50-year-old Narender Sharma had a different opinion.
“These cameras have been of no use. Crime rate is still high. This being a government colony, doesn’t get the freebies that others do. Kin of NDMC employees who died on duty never got jobs,” he lamented. Bimlesh, a housewife, is happy.
“Earlier, nobody bothered to help victims of road accidents but now as the government is rewarding those who help, people have started helping.”
BSP releases first list of candidates
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will be contesting on 42 seats in Assembly election to be held on February 8.
Lakshman Singh, president of its state unit, released the first list of its candidates on Saturday which comprises nominees for eight reserved constituencies.
The party has given a ticket to one Ram Ghulam to take on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on New Delhi seat.
In the list of 42 candidates, four are Muslims and only one woman —Indu —has been fielded from the Shahdara seat.