Chandni Chowk will decide the fate of Union minister and sitting MP Kapil Sibal, who had bagged a staggering 71% votes in 2004.
Once one of India’s smallest Lok Sabha constituencies with an electorate of little over 3 lakh, Delhi’s Chandni Chowk now has over 14 lakh voters post-delimitation. On May 7, it will decide the fate of Union minister and sitting MP Kapil Sibal, who had bagged a staggering 71% votes in 2004.
When the BJP nominated Vijender Gupta from this constituency, many thought Sibal was being given a walkover. In the past two weeks, however, this impression has changed. Now, even Congress leaders admit the constituency would witness a formidable fight.
The demography of Chandni Chowk has changed a lot since 2004 when Sibal first won the seat humbling the BJP’s Smriti ‘Tulsi’ Irani.
Post-delimitation, Chandni Chowk has lost its substantial Muslim population (nearly 25% in 2004) with areas dominated by Punjabis and Vaishs merging in. The seat now has only 13.4% Muslim voters, while Punjabis and Vaishs constitute nearly 30.4% of the electorate. The BJP believes by fielding Gupta, a Vaish, it could consolidate the vote bank.
But this not the only challenge for Sibal. Local Congress workers blame him for a strong disconnect with the grassroots. Some claim he has been so occupied with his cabinet commitments that he was seldom seen in the constituency.
Congress workers also blame Sibal for a lack of interest in local party activities. “Sibal has not maintained any connect with voters. He usually skips party functions. Even when he attends them, he makes his speech and leaves. His interaction with Congress workers in the area has been minimal. Even during the November assembly poll, Congress candidates didn’t get any major help from him,” a party MLA whose segment falls in the Chandni Chowk constituency, said.
“In the recent interactions he has had with people in the constituency, he has often used terms such as economic liberalisation and revolution in the field of science and IT. These issues do not matter much in Chandni Chowk dominated by the business class,” a district Congress worker pointed out.
Meanwhile, Gupta, also chairman of the municipal standing committee, is pinning hopes on “the active role played by me against the demolition and sealing drives”.
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