Gandhi Nagar

A BJP bastion once, Gandhi Nagar in east Delhi emphatically voted Congress in 1998. MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely is relying on his "work" over the past five years to do an encore.

A BJP bastion once, Gandhi Nagar in east Delhi emphatically voted Congress in 1998. MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely is relying on his "work" over the past five years to do an encore.

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His rival from the Akali Dal (which has an arrangement with the BJP at Gandhi Nagar), Tarjeet Singh Nagi, however, does not believe Lovely should get another chance. "Nothing has been done about the problems of water, power, roads, garbage or traffic," he says.

"Before the 1998 election, I had promised power lines in every nook and corner of the constituency. Over the last five years, new cables have been laid everywhere; there are sodium lights everywhere," Lovely says.

He insists the water supply situation has improved, and repeats that two road underbridges several community centres and parks have been built.

But Nagi says roads in the constituency continue to be in poor shape. There is stagnant drain water all around, and parking of vehicles is generally a nightmare in Gandhi Nagar's famous wholesale garments market. "The Congress continued to keep its eyes shut to the problem even after dengue broke out in the area," Nagi says.

Thirty in 1998, Lovely had been the youngest MLA in the outgoing assembly. His performance in the House was recognised by his peers. He refuses to say anything about Nagi: "I do not want to level any allegations against him."

Nagi, a member of the Delhi Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, claims he won the Gurdwara elections by the largest margin.

He says Lovely has failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the area.