Accusing political parties and the Government for “neglecting” the interest of the traders in the national Capital, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) have decided to covert 19 lakh traders in Delhi into a vote bank ahead of Lok Sabha election. Besides, the traders’ body will also formulate a comprehensive plan to contact about 30 lakh employees of the traders and their relatives to urge them to join hands with traders as far as voting is concerned.
In all seven Parliament seats of Delhi, the Chandni Chowk seat is primarily considered to be a seat of traders as all wholesale markets and prominent retail markets are part of this constituency. About four lakh traders are voters on this seat out of about 16 lakh electorates and the four lakh traders have their families and that of families of their employees and other connected people as well. Most of the traders who are doing business in Chandni Chowk seat are predominantly also the residents of this seat.
Therefore if this chunk votes collectively as a vote bank in the forthcoming elections, the result is bound to be influenced to a greater extent, a senior member of CAIT said. Commercial markets like Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Kashmiri Gate, Chawri Bazar, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, Shradhanand Marg, Darya Ganj, Ajmeri Gate, Jama Masjid are part of this constituency on the other hand areas like Kamla Nagar, Ashok Vihar, Shati Nagar, Model Town, Shalimar Bagh, Pitampura are inhabited largely by the trading community.
Likewise, on New Delhi seat out of about 17 lakh voters, the traders constitute about two lakh voters, on South Delhi seat out of about 19 lakh voters nearly 2 lakh voters, on North East Delhi seat out of about 22 lakh voters about 3 lakh voters are traders, on East Delhi seat out of about 21 lakh voters about 2.5 lakh voters are traders whereas on West Delhi seat out of about 22 lakh voters the traders constitute 2.75 lakh voters, on North West Delhi seat out of 23 lakh voters about 3 lakh are trader voters. It shows that traders have considerable influence on all seats of Delhi and if they are converted into a vote bank and cast vote collectively they can influence the results to a greater extent.
CAIT Delhi State President Vipin Ahuja said that trading community has remained completely neglected so far by the Government and all political parties but this time the Delhi traders have decided to establish their importance in the forthcoming elections. Therefore, the CAIT since last three months is working hardly on all seven seats of Delhi making the traders aware about the value of their vote and holding meetings. So far CAIT has organised about more than 150 meetings in commercial markets all over Delhi which will be greatly intensified in coming days, he said, adding that it will be for the first time that traders leaving their political affiliations will vote as a trader in Delhi.
Ahuja said that Delhi traders are fraught with various problems including continuous sealing of shops, problems arising out of rent act, rampant corruption in Municipal Corporation of Delhi and facing great harassment by MCD officials on account of obtain licenses and other compliances, deteriorating conditions of commercial markets with no proper infrastructure, parking problem, prohibition of loading and unloading of goods in day time, pollution issues, no proper security of markets.
“On the other hand the issues like e commerce and FDI in Retail has wrack the bone of small traders in Delhi. No government or political party is consulting the traders on such issues. It is only at the time of elections when political parties remember the trader’s,” he said, adding that there is no participation of traders in political spectrum.
The traders are considered as vote bank of BJP and therefore other political parties keep distance from traders and on the other hand BJP do not give any importance to its core vote bank.
Ahuja said that “the CAIT had released a ‘National Charter of Traders’ which has been sent to all political parties and based on their response we will finalise the strategy as to which political party or candidate the traders should support in this elections in Delhi,”.