While youngsters and students give a thumbs up to open gym, constituency lacks effective urban management
The North East parliamentary constituency of the National Capital is set for a triangular contest between the Congress, Aam Admi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Retaining this particular parliamentary seat would be a litmus test for the BJP and its sitting Member of Parliament (MP), Manoj Tiwari, who is facing opposition from his own party.
Tiwari won the seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections thanks to the Modi wave and the votes from Poorvanchalis in the area. The saffron party also managed to divide the Muslim votes in the area.
In 2009, Congress leader JP Aggarwal won the seat with the support of Muslim, Scheduled Caste and Poorvanchali votes. In the event of AAP and Congress tying up for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, it would be difficult for the BJP to retain the seat.
Major issues
The North-East constituency came into existence in 2008 as a part of the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India constituted in 2002. It consists of ten legislative assembly seats — Burari, Timarpur, Seemapuri, Rohtas Nagar, Seelampur, Ghonda, Babarpur, Gokalpur, Mustafabad and Karawal Nagar.
As per locals and residents, the entire constituency feels like a neglected lot and needs to be uplifted in terms of cleanliness, infrastructure, and safety, among other issues. The constituency shares its border with Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and is one of the crime-prone areas of the National Capital.
Youngsters in the area appreciate the efforts of their MP as open gymnasiums in the area have been set up. Owing to the fitness craze among them, they find it to be a good place to exercise and relax.
The constituency never had a railway station and with Tiwari taking charge of the area, trains have now started stopping at Meet Nagar, from where maximum incidents of chain-pulling were earlier reported. However, the area still reels under problems such as traffic, bad roads, garbage disposal, poor sanitation, open drains, which residents feel need timely intervention to improve the constituency.
MPLAD funds
Tiwari has utilised Rs 12.50 crore from the MPLAD funds between 2014 to 2019. To ensure the safety of residents, Tiwari spent around Rs 7 crore on the installing CCTV cameras in the area and also at MCD-run schools with the assistance of Delhi Police.
Around a crore was spent to set up swings and other play areas in the parks for children. Several stretches in the constituency did not have sufficient illumination and the MP spent around Rs 4.5 crore on installing street lights. Besides this, Rs 2 crore have been spent on the open gymnasium. An amount of Rs 2.46 crore, which was leftover from the fund allotted to the previous Congress MP, was also carried forward and utilised.
Parliament Report Card
Tiwari participated in nine debates and also had three special mentions, including that on having the Bhojpuri language in the Eighth schedule of the Constitution and also on issues regarding sexual harassment of women in political parties. He was also a part of discussions on three government bills. Tiwari is not a member of any parliamentary committee.
‘UPLIFT CONSTITUENCY’
- As per locals, the entire constituency feels like a neglected lot and needs to be uplifted in terms of cleanliness, infrastructure, and safety, among other issues
- The constituency shares its border with Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and is one of the crime-prone areas of the National Capital
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Residents and women say while manoj tiwari has taken several steps, they need more effective leadership to deal with garbage disposal and traffic management
POLITICAL PURVIEW
Retaining this particular parliamentary seat would be a litmus test for the BJP and its sitting Member of Parliament (MP), Manoj Tiwari, who is facing opposition from his own party Tiwari won the seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections thanks to the Modi wave and the votes from Poorvanchalis in the area. The saffron party also managed to divide the Muslim votes in the area. In the event of AAP and Congress tying up for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, it would be difficult for the BJP to retain the seat.
- Rs 12.50 crore MPLAD funds utilised by Manoj Tiwari for development work
YOUTH UPBEAT ABOUT POLLS, RWA MEMBERS SEEK A MORE VISIBLE REPRESENTATIVE
Open gymnasiums are a motivating feature in the area and anyone can use them. As a student, I would want that whoever comes to power, should ensure that there are better schools, education system as well as traffic management in the area
— Harshit Chawla, Student
As a first time voter, I am not making any decisions on whom to vote for as of now. Urban management is a major issue as roadsides are either packed with people or encroached upon. Women’s safety is also an important factor
— Jane Singh, Electronic Engineer
As a citizen working as an RWA member, I feel that the MP has been unable to keep up with the expectations. We have been demanding to see more of Manoj Tiwari, but since he is party’s top leader, he may have less time and as such visited less
— Vipin Sharma, General Secretary, Gonda RWA
We have barely seen him in the area and I fail to remember his last visit in the area. The residents are now planning to voice the need for a local leader and not someone who has been brought from a different area
— Balbeer Singh Parmar, President, H block Jainagar RWA
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