The bypoll in the Bawana Assembly seat has become a prestige issue for the political parties, with stalwarts of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stepping up for campaigning along with their respective candidates. The local party leaders have been directed not to leave any stone unturned to win the seat.
On Saturday evening, a rally has been conducted by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari at Bawana to woo voters. Bawana, the largest constituency, is witnessing an aggressive door-to door campaigning as the political parties, including the BJP are not risking to lose the grip in the polls scheduled for August 23.
People of this constituency said that they have not decided on extending their support to any party till now. Many among them also said that the ex-AAP MlA has shifted to the BJP for his own political career and imposed the mid election on us. "If he could not perform while being in a ruling party then what can we expect now," said a resident of Bawana wishing anonymity.
The Congress candidate and three times MlA Surender Kumar is giving a tough competition to the rival BJP. Kumar is famous in his constituency and majority of the voters have lauded his efforts during his term.
The Pioneer on Saturday visited different villages such as Harewali, Mungeshpur, Bajitpur, Nangal Thakran, Katewara, Kutubgarh, Driya Pur to assess the mood of the voters.
People mainly showed interest in the work carried by Surender Kumar in his three term as MlA of the constituency. They alleged that they have lost faith is Ved Prakash — who shifted from the AAP to the BJP, they said they will think twice before electing him again.
While the AAP is trying to woo voters of slum clusters and unauthorised colonies, the ruling party is campaigning aggressively to regain the seat. Talking about AAP candidate Ramchandra, many among the villagers said that they have tested the party but it has not come to their expectations. However, its fresh candidate Ramchandra is a resident of Shahbad dairy and a purvanchali, thus, expected to mobilise voters in areas dominated by migrants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The seat fell vacant after Aam Aadmi Party MlA Prakash moved to the BJP days ahead of the municipal polls. Senior leaders from all the three party are actively campaigning across the villages in Bawana.
Some of the prominent leaders, including Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Maken, leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta, Congress leaders Salman Khurshid, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are regularly holding meeting to woo the voters.