Defectors from Cong, AAP bring cheer to BJP camp

IN BAWANA PEOPLE SAID THAT THE BJP HAD THE NATURAL EDGE AS AAP HAD NEGLECTED THE OUTER DELHI AREAS

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh and former AAP MLA Ved Parkash’s inclusion in the BJP camp just days ahead of the corporation elections has paid rich dividends to the saffron party as it won most seats in their bastions — Gandhi Nagar and Bawana.

In Gandhi Nagar assembly constituency, which has been represented by Singh four times as MLA from 1998 to 2013, BJP won all the seats.

In Bawana, BJP won three out of five wards — Bawana, Pooth Khurd, and Rohini D while it lost from Rohini C and Begumpur.

Gandhi Nagar residents said Singh’s rapport with the locals and being available for the people in the area despite not being in power might have influenced several voters to switch to BJP.

Ravinder Singh, a resident of Raghubarpura ward, said that the area is a business hub in East Delhi as it has the largest wholesale market for readymade apparel but no attention was paid to provide civic facilities to people in the last two years.

The footpaths are heavily encroached, drains are overflowing and there is rampant illegal construction.

“People were expecting BJP to win Kanti Nagar and Raghubar Pura but Shastri Park was expected to be a tough fight,” he said.

But it seems that traders saw their hope in Singh and BJP combo as he had done good work in the past. “He got encroachments cleared and the road near Loha Pul was widened giving relief to traders,” he said.

In Gandhi Nagar, the population which is largely Sindhi, Marwari and Punjabi is mostly into business.

Anil Sindhwani, a resident of Azad Nagar, said though Singh didn’t campaign for the party in Gandhi Nagar constituency as the Congress candidates here was given a ticket on the backing of Singh but he had tried to send the message to vote for BJP through his volunteers.

In Bawana, however, people said that the BJP had the natural edge as AAP had neglected the outer Delhi areas on the developmental front.

“In Bawana, Arvind Kejriwal had appealed people not to pay electricity and water bills. However, he didn’t take the development forward. There is lack of connectivity to the main city, which means people have to shell out huge money to travel,” said Mahesh Kumar, a resident.