Lok Sabha election 2019: East Delhi votes on Sunday in sixth phase for development

The Congress, which ruled the city for 15 consecutive years, is pitching hard to stage a comeback in Delhi’s political scenario, especially in East Delhi.

East Delhi, the most urbanised in Delhi after the New Delhi seat, is among the Capital’s seven parliamentary constituencies which will vote on Sunday in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election.

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The Congress, which ruled the city for 15 consecutive years, is pitching hard to stage a comeback in Delhi’s political scenario, especially in East Delhi. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), too, are pitching development to garner the support of the urban voters in the seat.

Congress candidate Arvinder Singh Lovely, a three-time MLA and a former minister in the Sheila Dikshit’s government, has reminded people during his campaigns that the Congress government “transformed” East Delhi. The AAP has fielded Atishi, credited for her role school education reforms in Delhi government schools, from the seat.

The BJP has nominated former cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who joined the party only this year, at the cost of its incumbent member of Parliament Maheish Girri.

The BJP has pitched the work done by the BJP-led central government, including the ₹50,000-crore projects approved for Delhi, to garner the support of voters in middle-class neighbourhoods such as IP Extension, Mayur Vihar, Patparganj, Krishna Nagar, Jungpura.

Spread over 70sqkm, there are middle-class settlements like the housing societies of IP Extension; the Mayur Vihar areas that are dominated by retired government servants, working-class professionals, upper middle class and the business community areas such as Preet Vihar, Gagan Vihar, Nirman Vihar, Krishna Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, which are located along Vikas Marg.

Villages such as Chilla (one of the few urbanised villages in the constituency), Ghondli, Khichripur, Dallupura are today home to a large migrant population from neighbouring states.

Also are a large number of unauthorised colonies — nearly 150 of the 1,797 in the capital. As per the Census 2011, nearly 29% of people live in rented accommodation in East Delhi. The slum clusters are located in Shahdara, Okhla, Seelampur, Jangpura, Trilokpuri among other assembly constituencies.

The seat has roughly 16% Muslim population located largely in Okhla, Jangpura, Trilokpuri, Madanpur Khadar, Ghondli and Shahdara assembly constituencies.

After their failed attempt at forging an alliance, both the AAP and Congress are trying hard to win the support of the Muslim community. But in a triangular contest, the vote is likely to split between AAP and Congress, in which case it would be an advantage for the BJP.

The votes will be counted on May 23 along with all the other parliamentary constituencies across the country.