New AAP office compounds traffic chaos near Ashram

The four-storey office, serving as a public outreach hub for former Delhi deputy chief minister and Jangpura assembly candidate Manish Sisodia, has become a significant bottleneck and a nightmare for commuters navigating the busy junction linking south, central and east Delhi

Ashram Chowk, one of Delhi’s busiest junctions and notorious for traffic snarls, is now facing a fresh source of disarray – a newly opened Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) office located barely 100m from the exit of the underpass towards Jangpura.

Traffic snarls near AAP leader Manish Sisodia's election campaign office (right) near Ashram Chowk on Thursday. (HT PHOTO)

The four-storey office, serving as a public outreach hub for former Delhi deputy chief minister and Jangpura assembly candidate Manish Sisodia, has become a significant bottleneck and a nightmare for commuters navigating the busy junction linking south, central and east Delhi.

While traffic woes at Ashram have persisted for years for one reason or another, locals say the situation has significantly worsened in recent days.

Vehicles, including those in Sisodia’s convoy, are frequently parked on the road and the Bhogal flyover, further choking Mathura Road, the locals said. The resulting gridlock during peak hours further negates any relief that could have been provided by the underpass, operational for nearly a year and with its own set of problem.

“This stretch was already problematic, even after the underpass opened, because the road is too narrow for the volume of traffic. Two lanes can’t handle it, and the problem gets worse when buses stop to pick up passengers. Now, with additional cars parked near the office, congestion has increased,” said 32-year-old Prince Chauhan, who works at a nearby hardware store.

For residents such as Saurabh Mangla, there is no end to the traffic problems at Ashram. Born and raised in Jangpura, Mangla says the location of Sisodia’s office was bound to add to the mess. “Whenever leaders visit the office, cars line up along the Bhogal flyover, making the situation worse, especially during rush hours,” he said.

Sisodia inaugurated the office on December 16, marking the start of his campaign for the Jangpura assembly elections after shifting from the Patparganj seat. Since then, the building has become a hub of political activity, with party officials saying that the leader spends much of his day meeting constituents either in the field or at the office.

“The aim is to engage directly with locals and address their concerns,” said an AAP worker at the site.

Despite queries, the AAP declined to comment on the traffic issues.

More to come?

Locals in the area are concerned about the traffic impact in the coming weeks as the election season heats up. “If they start holding rallies here, the entire road will get blocked. We’re already struggling with the increased number of vehicles,” said a fruit vendor who works nearby.

The traffic woes at the Ashram underpass exit stem from multiple long-standing issues.

A traffic police officer, who asked not to be named, said that the primary problem is the narrow carriageway leading from the underpass towards Jangpura. The merging of vehicles exiting the underpass with traffic coming from the Ring Road and heading towards central Delhi creates a bottleneck. The situation worsens when buses stop to pick up passengers or when vehicles are parked along the roadside.

“Despite iron fencing on the central verge, residents of nearby colonies often remove sections to create makeshift crossings, slowing down vehicles and adding to the chaos. We’ve written to the concerned agencies about these issues, including bus stoppages, an electrical transformer blocking part of the road, and uncontrolled pedestrian movement,” said the officer.

Another senior traffic police officer from the southern range noted that the traffic unit was not informed by the AAP about the opening of the election office. “Had they informed us, we could have worked out a plan to manage traffic better,” he said, asking not to be named.

Despite repeated attempts, Delhi Traffic Police did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.