Welfare schemes, inflation main concerns for voters in Delhi

Delhi voters in slums voiced concerns over welfare schemes, inflation, and basic amenities, reflecting a mix of trust and frustration in the electoral process.

As Delhi residents turned out to vote on Wednesday, the polling stations in the city’s slums and unauthorised colonies were alive with conversations about a common set of concerns — welfare schemes, inflation, and local development. The voters in these areas said that access to basic amenities and government benefits played a crucial role in their electoral choices.

People cast their vote at a polling station in Bamnoli Village in south west Delhi on Wednesday. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Kalabati Kumar, 65, a resident of Sangam Vihar — believed to be Delhi’s largest unauthorised colony — was firm that the party that prioritises the welfare of the poor and education deserves her vote. “Our locality has many problems, but a lot of work has been done recently. I want the government to be re-elected because they care about the poor, our children’s education, and whether we get electricity,” she said.

Others were far more sceptical about the improvement in their areas.

Babli, a 40-year-old resident of Wazirpur JJ Cluster, expressed frustration over the worsening conditions, and said she has no faith in leaders or their promises. “My vote goes to no one,” she said, and added, “The government promised money through the labour card, but it never came. Now they promise money to women in the city. We know it’s all false. Nothing will change for the lower classes in this city. We get free water, but it’s dirty. We get free electricity, but the bills still come high. We just have to make peace with it.”

Estimates suggest that a tenth of Delhi’s voters — 1.5 million people — live in slum clusters, and these electors constitute a major chunk in constituencies such as Narela, Adarsh Nagar, Wazirpur, Model Town, Rajendra Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Badarpur, Tughlakabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Seemapuri, Babarppur, Trilokpuri, Kondli, Okhla, Moti Nagar, Madipur, Shalimar Bagh, Matiala, and Kirari.

The voices in the city’s slums and unauthorised colonies reflected a complex mix of trust, frustration, and expectations.

Delhi has 799 unauthorised colonies and around 750 slums with an estimated population of 3 million people.

In Sangam Vihar, Ramkumari, 50, returned to the ballot after skipping the last election — a decision she has regretted for the last few months. “This time, I wanted to make sure I participated because the problems in our area are only increasing. There are no proper drainage systems. The roads are always overflowing with sewage water,” she said.

Another voter from Sangam Vihar, 28-year-old Badlu Kumar told HT that he was tired of the promises made by parties each election season as the quality of life has only worsened. “Maybe a change will help fix some of these issues... There is so much dust in our colony, which just adds to the air pollution and makes people sick. My own mother, who is over 65, is suffering from lung infection because of this,” he added

Ram Milan, a 51-year-old tailor who lives in Suraj Park JJ cluster in Rohini, first voted in Delhi in 1993 .“The present government claims that people living in slums have been getting clean drinking water... Forget out clean or dirty, we are not even getting water. We have to buy water jars for drinking water... We need a change.”

For many others, inflation was the biggest concern.

Santri Devi, 29, originally from Uttar Pradesh but a voter in north Delhi’s Wazirpur village, described the struggle of belonging nowhere. “I work as a domestic help, while my husband is a daily wage labourer. For us, minimum wage matters the most because we are the most exploited lot. I hope the new government does something for people like us who are struggling with inflation,” she said.

Jag Prasad, a 47-year-old security guard living in Gol jhuggies, was equally concerned about the rising cost of living. “On one hand, the government claims to provide free things, but all benefits are balanced out by rising inflation. My new government must focus on tackling that.”

Anil Kumar, 26, who showed up to vote early Wednesday morning at Nehru Camp said, “I just want a job. That’s it. I hardly get any work and my elderly parents are dependent on me.”

Abdul Hussain, a 40-year-old autorickshaw driver from JJ Camp C-31 near Chanakyapuri, believed governance in Delhi had been hindered by power struggles. “They did not allow [Arvind] Kejriwal to work. The power supply has improved, but the water supply — especially in the slums around Chanakyapuri — is a mess. People still remember Sheila ji fondly, but that can’t be the deciding factor anymore.”