BJP, Congress and AAP face to face in triangular contest

Bijwasan Assembly seat of Delhi has become the center of political activity this time. Kailash Gehlot from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Devendra Sehrawat from Congress, and Surendra Bhardwaj from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are contesting on this seat. Interestingly, Kailash Gehlot and Devendra Sehrawat were earlier associated with the Aam Aadmi Party. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see whether voters give priority to the party or the personality of the candidate.

Bijwasan seat: at a glance

Bijwasan assembly seat came into existence after delimitation in the year 2008. The area is Jat dominated, but areas like Rangpuri, Kapashera, Bijwasan, Rajnagar, and Samalkha also have a large number of migrant voters.
Major localities included in this area:

• Vasantkunj, Rangpuri, Rajokri
• Mahipalpur, Kapashera, Samalkha
• Some sectors of Airport, Dwarka

political history

• 2008 and 2013: BJP’s Satyaprakash Rana won this seat.
• 2015 and 2020: Aam Aadmi Party won twice in a row.
  There was a close contest between AAP and BJP in the 2020 assembly elections.
• Aam Aadmi Party: 57,271 votes
• Bharatiya Janata Party: 56,518 votes
• Congress: 5,937 votes

Total voters: 2,11,745

• Male: 1,14,518
• Female: 97,041
• Third Gender: 186

Main issues and challenges

Bijwasan area has Jat dominated areas as well as slums and kutcha colonies. The problems here extend from posh areas to basic needs.

Major Problems:

1. Problem of broken roads:
   • The situation becomes worse due to waterlogging during rains.
2. Water crisis:
   • In summer people have to get tankers for water.
   • The work on the underground reservoir started in 2015, but is still incomplete.
3. Lack of sewerage:
   • Waterlogging during rains and the poor condition of the sewerage system is a big challenge.
4. Illegal construction:
   • No control on illegal construction in Kapashera and other green zones.
5. Encroachment and filth:
   • Traffic affected due to encroachment on roads.
   • In many areas the street lights are broken and there are piles of filth.

Opinion of local residents

• Pallavi (local resident):
  “The problem of broken roads and waterlogging becomes frightening. “Due to the water crisis, it is a compulsion to get a tanker for water.”
• Other locals:
  • “MCD/DDA facilities are not available in raw colonies.”
  • “Illegal construction and poor sewerage system are the biggest hindrances to the development of the area.”

This time’s candidates and equations

• Kailash Gehlot (BJP):
  • Former transport minister and comes from Jat community.
  • Are in the fray after getting ticket from BJP.
• Devendra Sehrawat (Congress):
  • In the year 2015, he was elected MLA from Bijwasan on AAP ticket.
  • Now a Congress candidate.
• Surendra Bhardwaj (AAP):
  • Elected in place of current MLA BS June.
  • Has been active as a councilor of Rajnagar.

Key points of election battle

This election seems to be a triangular contest.

• Kailash Gehlot and Devendra Sehrawat both belong to the Jat community, which will lead to a tussle over the Jat vote bank.
• AAP candidate Surendra Bhardwaj has shown strength in the elections on the strength of his activism and local connections.