New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Development is the mantra for the capital's newly formed Northeast Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Carved out from the sprawling East Delhi seat after delimitation, a large area under it is underdeveloped with huge number of unauthorised colonies.
The seat has a total electorate of 1.67 million and all candidates are banking solely on issues like infrastructure improvement and regularisation of unauthorised colonies.
'A lot needs to be done in our area. Besides basic necessities such as water and electricity, our area needs better public transport connectivity. We just want development,' said 64-year-old Satyawati Mittal, who is a resident of Yamuna Vihar.
B.L. Sharma Prem, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Northeast Delhi, feels that the area has received a step-motherly treatment and is devoid of basic amenities.
'The area is underdeveloped and people don't have access to basic amenities. When I will become MP, I will start a girls college, a hospital, a separate development board for the huge below poverty line population and a fire station,' Prem claimed.
The BJP candidate holds the distinction of defeating two Delhi Pradesh Congress presidents - H.K.L. Bhagat and Deepchand Bandhu. This time again he is up against the Delhi Congress president, J.P. Aggarwal.
The Congress candidate is confident that the development work carried out by the Congress government in Delhi will compel people to vote for the party.
Aggarwal got the ticket after Jagdish Tytler pulled out of the race following protests by Sikhs, especially journalist Jarnail Singh's hurling of a shoe at Home Minister P. Chidambaram. They were against him being given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.
'There is no doubt that Northeast Delhi needs development and I think this is the reason why people should vote for a Congress candidate. It is a new constituency and needs attention. During campaigning I have noted down people's complaints and will work to solve them if elected,' said Aggarwal.
While some are hopeful of change, others are so dejected by the poor state of their area that they have decided not to vote.
'All politicians are the same, no matter which they party they are from. I will vote for the candidate who promises to bring development,' said Vidhi Upadhyay, a young professional.
Kapil Thapliyal, a Dilshad Garden resident, said: 'No development has taken place in our area in the last five years. I am not going to vote, the complete system is ridiculous. People say one should vote but what happens by voting?'
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