NEW DELHI: ‘In general elections, people vote for Modi, irrespective of candidate.’
The West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency is one of the youngest of Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha constituencies. It came into existence in 2008 after the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India, constituted in 2002. The Congress won this seat in 2009, while the BJP won it in both 2014 and 2019. In 2024, the seat is likely to have a strong contest between the BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat and the Aam Aadmi Party’s Mahabal Mishra, who was earlier with the Congress. In 2019, Mishra was defeated by BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma by a margin of 578,486 votes. Verma won 865,648 votes, while Mahabal Mishra got 287,162 votes. The West Delhi Lok Sabha seat comprises the 10 Assembly constituencies of Madipur, Janakpuri, Dwarka, Rajouri Garden, Vikaspuri, Hari Nagar, Uttam Nagar, Najafgarh, Matiala, and Tilak Nagar. While the BJP led from all 10 Assembly segments in the 2019 general elections, the AAP won all 10 seats in the 2020 Assembly elections.
Mahabal Mishra was suspended from the Congress for “anti-party activities” in 2020 and joined the AAP in 2022. On the other hand, the BJP has dropped its sitting MP Parvesh Verma and has fielded Kamaljeet Sehrawat, a fresh face. Both candidates say that easing commutes and upgrading infrastructure will be their focus. Mishra has said he will extend the metro line in the area and fix the age-old issue of parking spaces. He has added that he would set up a skill development centre for job creation and Delhi University’s west campus for students in West Delhi.
BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat told The Sunday Guardian that her “blueprint” for development is ready and includes plans to build new parks, sports facilities, and community halls. She has also promised to repair roads and provide better water supply to the constituency. “I will remain committed to serving every resident of West Delhi,” she said. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has done a road show for Sehrawat, asking voters to elect Sehrawat to connect Delhi with new dimensions of development and send her as a soldier of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s democratic army against corruption.
The issues that are uppermost on the minds of West Delhi voters are traffic congestion, encroachment, drinking water, cleanliness, waterlogging, health, etc. Many people told The Sunday Guardian that these are long-standing issues that no government has resolved till now.
Sunil Jha, a local voter, told The Sunday Guardian that traffic congestion is one of the major issues in the constituency. Several Delhi government and Central government projects are under construction because of which traffic moves at a snail’s pace in the constituency: “Since the construction of the flyover started as well the digging of land for Metro in September 2022, traffic congestion has shown no signs of easing. This has increased travel time on a road that has been damaged for years.”
Pride Thomas, a voter in Rajouri Garden, told The Sunday Guardian that health infrastructure is also a major issue in the constituency; both the rural and semi-urban population living in the constituency can’t think of going to private hospitals as they are too costly for them, and the nearest government hospital is too crowded and difficult to access.”
Neelam Singh, a voter in the Dwarka Assembly segment, told The Sunday Guardian that like in 2019, this time also the BJP has an upper hand in the constituency. “The BJP has done various development works in the constituency, and we hope that Kamaljeet Sehrawat will continue to do the same,” she said.
Vinod Sharma, a resident of Janakpuri, said that except for traffic congestion, there is no major issue in the constituency. He added that “for development, we have to bear some problems. We used to vote in the name of Modiji and will continue to do so.”
“PM Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, PM Mudra, and many other policies have helped all communities. I myself get the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. So my vote is for the BJP. All those who benefit from these policies will vote for Modiji,” told Arvind Joshi, a retail shop owner.
A political analyst, Desh Ratan Nigam, told The Sunday Guardian that in West Delhi, winds are blowing in favour of the BJP, and they will win this seat easily. He added that in general elections, people vote for Narendra Modi, irrespective of the candidate.
West Delhi reflects a diverse demography and remains a crucial constituency. The seat is known for its large concentrations of Poorvanchali and Punjabi voters, besides a sizeable Jat population in pockets.