Sangam Vihar: It's political greenhorn vs political upstart

New Delhi: New is the constituency and so are the main candidates testing electoral waters there amid shifting political sands.

Everything seems to be new about the recently sculpted-out Sangam Vihar constituency of the Delhi Assembly, polls to which are scheduled to take place after 11 days.

If the Congress candidate is former IPS officer Amod Kanth, then main BJP opponent S C L Gupta is a practising doctor in a south Delhi hospital, both of whom are being considered by the electorate of the area as outsiders and wet behind the ear politically - leaving the voter with no other option but to go in for the parties instead of the candidates they throw their weight behind.

There are 16 candidates, including BSP's Ranjit Singh and Congress rebel Anwar Alam as an independent, in the fray for this seat, carved out of Tughlaqabad Assembly constituency, where more than 1.5 lakh electorate will be exercising franchise at 140 booths on D-Day.

While the BJP is heavily banking on its win, two of the four wards of the seat in last year's civic polls as well as rebellion in Congress ranks, the Congress says it has won the seat twice in 1993 and 1998 due to favourable social engineering.

NCP candidate Veer Singh may play a major spoilsport on the seat as he is getting substantial support from disgruntled elements of BJP as well as the Congress.

Mr Ramesh Bidhuri (BJP) is the sitting MLA of the constituency.

The seat comprises areas like Tughlaqabad Extension, Tughlaqabad Institutional Area, Hamdard Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Talimabad and Asola Wildlife Sanctuary.

“I am confident that I will win the seat with a huge margin. I served this constituency earlier as Deputy Commissioner of Police(South) and then I floated my non-governmental organisation PRAYAS. It is for you to see what kind of work I did and what kind of work I am capable of. And I know people know the potential I have and what I am capable of,” Kanth said.

”I belong to Samastipur in Bihar and the constituency has a population of 10 per cent Poorvanchalis and 20 per cent Muslims, who I am sure will support me lock, stock and barrel. Even large slum cluster Naurang Colony will come out in complete support of me as former Congress MLA Sheesh Pal got it authorised during his stint,” he reckoned.

The constituency has a nearly 20 per cent Scheduled Caste population.

But the BJP, on the other hand, has several allegations to lob at the Congress, saying the area has problems galore, like water, electricity shortages, roads in a state of disrepair, choked sewers and what not.

“If I come to power, I promise I will rectify all wrongs that beset this constituency. Can you believe the area has a single motorable road and the Congress is promising the moon to the electorate. My slogan for the seat is 'Vikas Kiya Hai Aur Vikas Karenge’ (Development we have done and development we will do),” Gupta said.