New Delhi: Delhi will go for polls on February 5 before which, all political parties are trying their best to woo the voters, who too are not reluctant to point out their problems and all unfinished work.
In this episode, ETV Bharat team reached Ballimaran Assembly constituency under Old Delhi area and spoke to voters about issues concerning them. The Ballimaran seat, home to noted Urdu-Persian poet Mirza Ghalib, is part of the Chandni Chowk constituency. Imran Hussain from AAP has won this seat in 2020 and 2015 Assembly polls.
Mohammad Mushtaqin Qureshi, a resident of Ballimaran Assembly, said, the area reels under an acute water problem. "When we do not get water for many days, residents are forced to carry water from the nearby mosques. The condition of the roads is also not good as there are several potholes. Sometimes, schools have to be kept closed due to unavailability of water. During summer, the water crisis aggravates and we have to buy drinking water," he complained.
Echoing the same, social activist of the area, Gufran said, "I have raised water problem in front of the public representative many times. But instead of solving the issue, they go for procrastination. Before elections, the public representatives promise to solve the problems, but after winning, they forget the voters."
Salman Qureshi, another resident said that politicians always make tall promises before elections but they do not take up the initiatives after victory. "When we raise our problems in front of them, we only get assurances. The people of Delhi are not only facing civic issues, but there are also serious problems of pollution. We demand that no matter which party comes to power, it should work towards preventing pollution. When all the MLAs of Delhi raise their voice strongly on the issue of pollution, government will be forced to take strict steps," Salman said.
Kausar Qureshi said that the streets are littered with garbage and water has to be bought during summer. It becomes difficult for the poor to buy water. Even after complaining repeatedly, the streets are not cleaned, Kauser said adding that sometimes labourers are engaged in cleaning the roads.
Another resident said that most of the roads are damaged and sewer lines are also blocked in many areas.
Congress's Haroon Yusuf won this seat from 1993 to 2013 after this, AAP's Imran Hussain won in 2015 and 2020 by 33,877 votes and 36,172 votes respectively.
Notably, barring one instance, the person who has been elected as MLA from Ballimaran Assembly seat has always got a chance to become a cabinet minister in Delhi. Congress's Haroon Yusuf became a cabinet minister thrice in Sheila Dikshit's government, AAP MLA Imran Hussain, who won from this seat twice, also became a minister.
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