Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha Election 2024: Delhi-6 Ka Dil With BJP or Congress? Decider on May 25

UrbanScope

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posted on 6 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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The sitting MP is Harsh Vardhan of the BJP and the candidates in the fray for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections are Praveen Khandelwal of BJP and JP Agarwal of Congress

The Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency is one of the seven parliamentary constituencies in New Delhi. It is a General category seat and comprises parts of Central Delhi, North Delhi and North West Delhi districts. As many as 10 Assembly segments fall under the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat — Adarsh Nagar, Shalimar Bagh, Shakur Basti, slum clusters, Trinagar, Wazirpur, Model Town, Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Matia Mahal and Ballimaran — all of which are currently held by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The constituency will vote in phase 6 on May 25 and results will be declared on June 4. The sitting MP is Harsh Vardhan of the BJP and the candidates in the fray for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections are Praveen Khandelwal of BJP and JP Agarwal of Congress.

Political Dynamics

A Diverse Platter: The Chandni Chowk seat is slated for a direct fight between BJP candidate Praveen Khandelwal and JP Agarwal of the Congress. At the moment, the latter is said to be ahead in the race since he has been politically active for close to 30 years now, but the upcoming rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi may level the playing field. While Chandni Chowk typically evokes imagery of Old Delhi and Delhi-6, the parliamentary constituency is vaster and more diverse. From residential areas to shopping and wholesale zones to slum clusters, both the BJP and the Congress-AAP alliance have their work cut out in the constituency.
BJP’s Chances: The saffron party benched former Union minister and sitting MP Dr Harshan Vardhan from the Chandni Chowk seat this time, fielding a fresh face in Praveen Khandelwal. Denied a ticket, Harsh Vardhan eventually announced retirement from active politics. In 2014, Vardhan had defeated Kapil Sibal, then with the Congress, to win the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat while in the 2019 polls, he trounced Congress’ Jai Prakash Agarwal. Dropping Vardhan seems to have been the demand of majority of BJP workers in Chandni Chowk since there is said to be much anger among the locals over the lack of attention to the constituency in the last 10 years. BJP workers and cadre have reportedly been emphasising to the electorate in the constituency that while they may be upset with the outgoing MP, they should vote along national issues like security, Ram Temple and the proposed Uniform Civil Code. A trader himself, BJP candidate Praveen Khandelwal is making his Lok Sabha election debut, but enjoys considerable popularity among the trader community of the Chandni Chowk constituency. He has been the secretary-general of The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and was a member of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) Advisory Council. In big boost to Khandelwal’s campaign, The Federation of Retailer Association of India has extended support to him. FRAI is a body representing approximately 80 lakh micro, small, and medium retailers across the nation. Among Khandelwal’s assurances for the Chandni Chowk constituency is empowering small businesses and fostering a conducive environment for their growth. The 64-year-old has pledged to address longstanding issues such as a lack of representation of small retailers in Parliament and the need for a level-playing field against e-commerce giants.
Congress: The Chandni Chowk seat came to the Grand Old Party’s kitty as per its seat-sharing agreement with INDIA partner Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. The alliance has fielded Jai Prakash Agarwal, who is contesting his tenth Lok Sabha election. The veteran Congress leader was first elected to Lok Sabha from the Chandni Chowk seat in 1984. Later, he became an MP twice from the same seat in 1989 and 1995. In 2006, he was nominated for Rajya Sabha and in 2009, he was again elected as a Lok Sabha MP from the Northeast Delhi constituency. The 79-year-old is a resident of Chandni Chowk unlike the BJP candidate and, given his political experience, is quite well-known among locals. In his campaigns, Agarwal has been highlighting that no progress has been made in the constituency and there has been a complete blackout for 10 years.
Voting Factors: Among the 10 Assembly segments, Muslim-majority Wazirpur, Chandni Chowk, Matia Mahal and Ballimaran are likely to back the Congress-AAP alliance. The BJP, meanwhile, can count on support in Sadar Bazar, a trader-majority segment known for its wholesale markets. Votes in upmarket and semi-residential segments like Adarsh Nagar, Shalimar Bagh and Model Town may get split between the two contenders. That leaves Shakur Basti and Trinagar that have large pockets of slums and JJ clusters. In assembly elections, these areas vote for AAP as a bloc given its electricity subsidies. The challenge for the AAP-Congress alliance in Chandni Chowk this time would be to convert the AAP votes for the Congress. Arvind Kejriwal’s recent rally for JP Agarwal was as much a message for AAP cadre as for the voters that they should throw their weight behind the alliance candidate, putting party rivalries on the backburner.
Demographic Googly: One of the demographic changes in Chandni Chowk constituency seems to have stumped both parties. Over the last 15 years, Chandni Chowk constituency has become more commercial than residential. For Congress, it means the old-time voters who recognised JP Agarwal may have moved out and would be voting from elsewhere. For the BJP, it means that while pro-Praveen Khandelwal traders may be conducting business in Chandni Chowk, their votes would be cast in the constituencies they reside in.

Key Issues

Commercialisation: Most of the original residents of Chandni Chowk have already left. The havelis are either empty or have been rented out to retail and wholesale shops. While the streets are bustling with life and people in the morning, as soon as the shops close and traders go home, the streets feel abandoned. According to on-ground reports, residents who live here feel that the commercialisation of the region has led to the old Delhi culture declining in the heart of Delhi. Most of the havelis stay closed year round and are rented out for movies.
Women’s Security: Women’s security is a major issue in Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency. According to on-ground reports, women in the area are scared to go out after sunset as the shops close. The streets go silent at night and as most of the buildings are rented out as shop fronts, empty buildings line the streets. The old area also has a lack of security cameras in the inner areas.
Congestion: One of the main issues in the constituency is that of traffic, especially near the Red Fort. The main street of Chandni Chowk remains closed for vehicles which diverts vehicles to merge with the traffic coming from Kashmere Gate, leading to traffic snarls. Other reasons for traffic congestion are illegal parking near the Chandni Chowk metro, encroachment of roads by hawkers, and illegal shopping markets throughout the area. Moreover, the traffic congestion in and around Chandni Chowk makes movement impossible.
Fire Hazard: The entire market area of Chandni Chowk is a fire hazard and is akin to a tinderbox. Houses and buildings in the area are built adjacent to each other with no space in between, and the streets are narrow. Fires in shops are regular. The streets are so narrow that fire trucks cannot enter. In addition, most of the havelis in the area are very old and have laid abandoned for years, and are crumbling to the ground. People believe that even if fire trucks could reach a burning building, they would not be able to control it as blockades and old houses will make the task of the firefighters impossible.
Infrastructure: Citizens are worried about the lack of infrastructure in the Chandni Chowk area. There are only a few public washrooms in an area which is considered to be one of India’s largest wholesale markets. Loose wires hang from electricity poles endangering citizen’s lives. The region is littered with narrow streets where there are no street lights. During monsoons, waterlogging becomes a major issue as water enters shops and damages goods. People have demanded upgrades to the infrastructure but not much has been done.
Encroachments: Despite recent redevelopment efforts aimed at attracting tourists and improving traffic flow, the main road continues to face significant challenges. Residents report ongoing issues with beggars, homeless individuals, and drug addicts harassing visitors and engaging in theft. Despite increased police patrols, anti-encroachment drives, and the deployment of additional traffic police, problems persist. Vehicles disregard restricted hours, footpaths remain obstructed by encroachment, and the PWD has not successfully enforced orders to remove encroachments.

Infrastructure Development

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: It will reduce travel time from Delhi to Mumbai or the other way around from 24 to 13 hours. It is being built at a cost of Rs 1,03,000 crore and has a length of 1,390 kilometres.
Ashram Flyover Extension: This flyover is expected to help those travelling between Noida and Delhi by saving nearly 25 minutes and helping ease traffic congestion near the Ashram area.
Regional Rapid Transit System: It is a new, dedicated, high speed, high capacity, comfortable commuter service connecting regional nodes in the National Capital Region (NCR) — Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut. It will have a total of 25 stops and connect Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi with Modipuram in Meerut and will have a stoppage at Kashmere Gate.
Third Ring Road: The Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) is being built at a cost of Rs 7,700 crore. Conceived over a decade ago, the UER-II, often referred to as Delhi’s ‘Third Ring Road’, is anticipated to streamline travel between North Delhi, Indira Gandhi International Airport, and South Delhi.
Chandni Chowk Redevelopment project: The site of the former Hanuman Mandir was retiled. A new public washroom, reflecting the area’s aesthetic, was built near the entrance, featuring two toilets, 10 urinals, five women’s toilets, and a universal toilet. Three additional washrooms near Fountain Chowk, Bhagirath Place, and Town Hall were also completed. Railings replaced barricades at the entrance to prevent vehicle access, pending an official order from the transport department.