Jangpura voters weigh candidates as elections approach
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New Delhi: As the Delhi Assembly elections draw near, voters in the Jangpura constituen-cy remain divided on who will emerge victorious. Residents in the area have expressed mixed opinions about their current representatives, citing ongoing issues like poor civic management, lack of safety, and insufficient engagement from elected officials.
The 2020 elections saw Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Praveen Kumar defeating BJP's Impreet Singh Bakshi. This time, AAP has fielded senior lead-er Manish Sisodia, while BJP has nominated Tarvinder Singh Marwah and Congress putting forward Farhad Suri as its candidate. Locals voiced frustra-tions over unresolved issues and insufficient engagement from elected repre-sentatives. Many criticized the inaccessibility of the sitting AAP MLA, Praveen Kumar. “We have been dealing with dirty water for days, and parking problems in Lajpat Nagar remain unresolved. The parking mafia here charges arbitrarily and permits parking in no-parking zones.
The AAP MLA has not visited to address these concerns,” said Avinash, a Lajpat Nagar-2 resident. A 55-year-old woman shared concerns over rising thefts, saying, “My grandson's bicycle was stolen in broad daylight, and thieves have entered homes. Despite informing the police, no action was tak-en. But I appreciate the zero electricity bills and improved government schools.” Concerns over safety have also surfaced since the implementation of the 2021 liquor policy. Residents pointed to the rise in alcohol shops as a factor contributing to safety issues. Sakshi and Usha, Lajpat Nagar residents, said, "The liquor shops have caused safety issues, especially when travelling after 7 pm."
Despite these challenges, AAP's welfare schemes, including free electricity up to 200 units, free water, and bus rides for women, have seemed to garner trust among many voters. Babita, a resident of Bhogal, expressed her scepticism towards BJP's promises, saying, "I am not sure if they will fulfil their promises, but AAP has already delivered on many, like free electricity, water, and bus rides for women." Meanwhile, some residents have shown their support for BJP's Tarvinder Singh Marwah, who has previously won from the constituency three times in 1998, 2003 and 2008 on a Congress ticket. "BJP's Marwah is a local guy who is always around to listen to us. I am not sure about Sisodia, who is an outsid-er, especially after the AAP MLA did not meet us to resolve issues.