Delhi: Only 44% turn up to vote in Rajinder Nagar bypolls, local issues play on voter minds

According to many who did turn up to vote on Thursday, issues such as the ongoing water supply crisis, choked drains, poor sanitation, bad condition of roads and lack of parking spaces were foremost in their minds, influencing their choice of a legislator.

When voting concluded at 6pm on Thursday for the Rajinder Nagar assembly by-election, only about 44% of the 164,698 eligible voters had turned up to vote -- a meagre turnout if one goes by past records -- with election officials attributing the general lack of enthusiasm among voters to the fact that voting was taking place on a weekday and also an overall disinterest in the by-election itself. The results will be declared on June 26.

Residents arrive to cast votes during the Rajinder Nagar by-election, in New Delhi on Thursday.  (Sanchit Khanna /HT photo)

In the 2020 assembly election, the turnout in the constituency was 58.3%.

According to many who did turn up to vote on Thursday, issues such as the ongoing water supply crisis, choked drains, poor sanitation, bad condition of roads and lack of parking spaces were foremost in their minds, influencing their choice of a legislator.

Across 21 polling locations (190 polling stations) of the constituency, more voters turned up in the morning and as the temperature soared, the crowd started thinning. At booths catering to voters from slums and villages such as Gas Godam Jhuggi and Naraina, the crowds were comparatively bigger than those outside booths in upscale colonies.

Amanpreet Arora, a businessman, who voted at a polling station in New Rajinder Nagar, said before election, every candidate promises to fix all problems but once it is over, the elected representative does not bother to look back. “They do not even respond to emails. The new MLA should be accessible to the people,” said Arora.

As this is the first election to be held in Delhi since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, the issue of health-care services and pandemic management also dominated the minds of voters. Aarti Arora, a businesswoman, said the situation during the pandemic was bad and people had to struggle to get health-care services. “That too will weigh on the minds of voters,” said Arora.

A couple of electors HT spoke to in Naraina village said the central government’s Agnipath scheme also weighed in on their choice of an MLA. “The people of the constituency have their own opinion about the scheme. Some are in favour while others are against it,” said Aditya Tanwar, a voter.

Laxmi Devi, a migrant worker from eastern Uttar Pradesh, said the water crisis was the main issue for her. “Water is currently supplied only for a limited time at dawn and as there are long queues, not everyone get it. We want the water issue fixed,” said Devi.

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, whose resignation as MLA from the constituency, had led to the by-election, cast his vote in New Rajinder Nagar. “The people of this constituency gave me much love and affection and an opportunity to serve them. The people will vote for AAP to take forward the pace of development that is taking place under the AAP government in Delhi,” said Chadha.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Gautam Gambhir voted at a polling booth in Old Rajinder Nagar and later said his party has fielded a local resident. “People are voting for change and they want a local person as their MLA,” Gambhir said.

The AAP has fielded Durgesh Pathak, who has also been the party leader in charge of municipal affairs. The BJP, which is looking to regain the seat that it had held prior to the entry of AAP, has fielded former councillor Rajesh Bhatia. From the Congress, former councillor Prem Lata is contesting.

In the 2020 Delhi assembly elections, Chadha won Rajinder Nagar defeated his nearest rival RP Singh of the BJP by a margin of 20,058 votes.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also appealed to people to vote “for the better future of their children and for development of the area”, in a tweet he put out on Thursday morning.

Chief electoral officer Ranbir Singh said the voting percentage is lower than what it was in the 2020 assembly election. “We did our best to spread awareness through magic shows, events, and awareness drives,” said Singh.

Singh said 229 people, who are above 80 years of age and those who are differently abled, have already voted through postal ballots. “The election commission permits people above 80 years of age and the different abled electors to use postal ballots for voting. A total of 297 such electors had completed the formalities and 229 of them voted,” said Singh.

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