As one of the largest constituencies of Delhi gets set to cast its ballot on Wednesday, confidence ran high amongst the top three parties in the fray on the penultimate day of the Bawana by-polls. The BJP, AAP and the Congress are the main contenders for this seat.
The elections, which were necessitated after the seat fell vacant — following then AAP MLA Ved Prakash joining the BJP — is a test for all the parties on their popularity in the Capital. The results will be announced on August 28.
The BJP wants to continue its triumphant run in the Capital that was initiated by the local civic elections in April this year, and then winning the Rajouri by-assembly election. Bawana comes as a test for the saffron party, especially because it has fielded an AAP defector Prakash. Party leaders, who are keenly watching Bawana, meanwhile, have already declared a "win", crediting it to "intelligent voters".
Talking to DNA, district president Neel Daman Khatry said, "Residents of Bawana have seen through the lies spun by the Kejriwal government. He had promised water to them in 2015, on the basis of which he romped to power. Surprisingly, the chief minister does not know that people here do not have pipelines. How will they get water?"
Khatry added that the constituency is supporting the development plank promoted by the Centre, which will translate into Prakash emerging as the winner.
AAP, on the other hand, feels that the turncoat gesture made by the former MLA, has made the voter sceptical of his intentions and put his credibility under the scanner. Claiming that Prakash did not "do anything" for the area during his tenure as AAP legislator, party leader Adil argued that "AAP is committed towards providing water, electricity and education to the residents."
The party has fielded Ram Chandra, resident of Shahbad dairy, who had fought polls on the BSP ticket in 2008, and lost.
Congress, which did not score a single seat in the 2015 Assembly elections, has brought into veteran Surender Kumar — three time MLA from Bawana. Hoping to utilise the "old hand", senior leaders feel the roti, kapda, makaan ideology of the party is a sure shot winning formula.
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