NEW DELHI: In South Delhi, where residents of urban villages, unauthorised colonies and slum dwellings make up a significant portion of the electorate, voters said economic well-being of underprivileged sections of society was the most important issue for them in these elections.
“Inflation is the most pressing concern for me; prices of commodities, even the most basic, just keep rising. At the same time, despite increasing levels of education, the youth are not able to find job opportunities,” said 48-year-old Shanawaz Alam in Sangam Vihar.
A similar view was echoed by 19-year old Deepika, a resident of Okhla, in southeast Delhi. “I’ll be going to college this year and I’m concerned about my future prospects. People are more concerned about communal issues, but I think the focus should be on fulfilling the needs of the poor,” she said.
Shyam Rai, a voter in Tughlakabad village offered a slightly different view; “The country’s progress should be of the utmost importance. We need better schools, colleges, hospitals and roads. If it comes at the cost of a reduction in welfare schemes and freebies, so be it.”
Despite this, issues of national importance were not completely out of the equation. “We have become a much stronger and secure nation in the past few years. No other country can endanger us now. Internal security has also improved with the streets now being safe for women. I want this state of affairs to continue,” said Ravi Kashyap, a voter in Badarpur’s Molarband locality.
Voters in South Delhi also expressed their familiarity with both candidates, as they are natives of the place. Ramvir Singh Bhiduri from the BJP is an MLA from Badarbur while Sahi Ram Pehelwan from the AAP is an MLA from Tughlakabad, both falling under the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Voters in these areas also said the candidates had been active on the ground.
Local people, national causes
While local sentiments and issues held the fore in the city on polling day, issues of national importance were not completely out of the equation. “We have become a much stronger and secure nation in the past few years. No other country can endanger us now. Security has also improved with the streets now safer for women,” a voter said.