By Nivedita Singh
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) Burari, one of the most populated and a Purvanchali-dominated Assembly constituency, has several illegal colonies and is often discussed by Delhi residents for crime, bad roads and lack of water and sewerage system.
Of the 3,57,331 voters, only 1,58,218 are females and the constituency has a sex ratio of 795, below the state’s gender ratio of 824.
Purvanchalis — people from the eastern UP and the western Bihar — account for around 44 per cent of the population and thus play a crucial role in elections.
Since the Burari Assembly seats’s formation through the delimitation process in 2008, it has elected Sanjeev Jha, a Purvanchali, of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2013 and 2015. In 2013, when the AAP contested elections the first time, Jha won by 10,000 votes and in 2015 he defeated Gopal Jha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 68,000 votes.
In 2008, Sri Krishan of the BJP had won the seat.
According to the AAP, the BJP government at the Centre and the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi (NMCD) have failed to meet their responsibilities in terms of law and order and garbage maintenance.
According to Jha, Burari residents have been deprived of basic necessities for decades. “The Burari Assembly constituency has several problems, like lack of good education infrastructure, water supply system, sewer lines, healthcare facilities, as well as women’s security,” said Jha.
Stating his resolve to solve these problems, Jha said, “Why should the taxpaying residents of the constituency tolerate these harsh living conditions.”
Listing his works, the two-time AAP legislator said he ensured creation of around 200 modern classrooms and construction of 380 more was in progress.
“The AAP gave an 800-bed hospital, 14 mohalla clinics (10 more are in the process) and 72 km water pipeline. We got 30 km sewer lines built and 270 km more sewer lines are under various stages of construction. Over 2,000 CCTV cameras have been installed to ensure safety of residents,” he said.
“Using taxpayers’ money for taxpayers’ benefit with honesty and transparency is the responsibility of every government,” he said.
Burari Assembly constituency comprises Ibrahimpur, Jahangirpuri Resettlement Colony and Nathupura and rural settlements like Mukandpur, Nangli Poona, Jagatpur, Kadipur and Mukhmelpur.
The area hit the headlines in July 2018 when 11 members of a family were found dead in their house, which the police termed a case of mass suicide.
The area is also known for Khandeswar Mandir, considered a Mahabharat-era temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to folklore, it’s the place where Arjun prayed to Lord Shiva before setting afire the Khandavprastha (forest of Khandva).
While the AAP and the BJP are likely to leave no stone unturned to capture the seat, the Congress is also said to be in the race. But the opposition parties are in search of candidates who could give a contest to the AAP’s Purvanchali leader.
However, it’s just a matter of three-four weeks — Delhi will go to polls on February 8 and votes will be counted on February 11 — when the preference of Burari voters will be out in open.
(Nivedita Singh can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
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