Delhi govt's liquor policy and water shortage may spoil Arvind Kejriwal's dreams

New Delhi: The city government's liquor policy and water shortage are among the main poll issues in the Rajinder Nagar assembly area which may have a bearing on the outcome of the upcoming bypoll to the constituency where AAP enjoys a reigning popularity.

Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has conducted two back-to-back roadshows in the central Delhi constituency in the last two days while a third is lined up on Sunday in support of his party candidate Durgesh Pathak.

He has urged the people to vote for 'jhadoo' (AAP's poll symbol) if they want development work to continue in the assembly constituency.

The BJP too has intensified its campaign by fielding star campaigners, including several Union ministers, MPs, legislators and senior leaders as they canvass for party candidate Rajesh Bhatia ahead of the June 23 bypoll.

If the local residents are to be believed, the AAP-led government's liquor policy and water shortage are among the main issues on which the contest will be fought.

On June 17, during a roadshow in Sat Nagar near Karol Bagh, Kejriwal had urged the people to choose 'jhadoo' (broom) if they wanted to see development, and the BJP if they wanted to see 'jhagda' (quarrels)".

Yogender Sablania, a local resident of Sat Nagar, claimed that he along with few of his neighbours had peacefully protested against liquor vends "aggressively operating" in his neighbourhood, by holding placards during the roadshow.

"Liquor vends and their discount offers have led to huge crowding of customers, which has vitiated the atmosphere for us, especially children. Sometimes, these people also create nuisance on the streets," he alleged.

Meanwhile, a purported video of AAP's roadshow in Naraina village on Saturday has emerged on social media showing some local residents staging protest by holding black flags and placards bearing a message that they want clean water and not liquor.

Delhi BJP has been accusing the AAP of "promoting liquor consumption" in the city by letting "more vends" to be opened in various neighborhoods, a charge rejected by the ruling party and the current dispensation.

A total of 849 liquor store licences were issued by Delhi government last year under its excise policy 2021-22. However, only 639 stores were still open by the end of May this year, according to official figures.

Among other issues, Kejriwal during Saturday's roadshow promised to resolve the water shortage issue in the constituency.

The AAP enjoys popularity in this assembly seat which was vacated by party leader Raghav Chadha after being elected to the Rajya Sabha recently from Punjab, necessitating the bypoll.

Asked if water shortage issue will be a major poll plank in this bypoll, he claimed that as the Rajinder Nagar MLA, he had ensured that "a large number of such issues were resolved, and Durgesh Pathak will carry forward the development AAP has already done in the constituency".

Some of the other issues include lack of adequate parking space and waterlogging in certain areas during monsoons.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while campaigning in the area, had assured locals of redressing the problem being faced by them while using the Naraina-Inderpuri overbridge.

A cremation ground is located on the other side of the old iron bridge that crosses railway tracks from Naraina village side.

While the Congress has fielded Prem Lata as its candidate, the contest is largely being seen as a two-way fight between the ruling AAP and BJP.

Battlelines have been drawn with 14 candidates in the fray. In addition to the three AAP, BJP and Congress candidates, three others are from unrecognised parties. Another eight candidates are contesting as Independents.

Both the AAP and BJP have exuded confidence that their candidate will defeat the other by a huge margin.

In the posters put up by the two parties, the AAP's slogan is --  'Kejriwal ki sarkar, Kejriwal ka vidhayak', while BJP has been highlighting that Bhatia being a local resident can serve the people better and coined the slogan -- 'sthaniya voter ko chahiye sthaniya vidhayak'.

Bhatia has reiterated his resolve to serve the people and make the constituency the best area in Delhi within a year of becoming MLA.

A total of 1,64,698 electors are eligible to cast their vote in the June 23 by-election.

Of the total number of eligible voters for the bypoll, 92,221 are male, 72,473 female and four belong to the third gender.

Also, 1,899 voters in this assembly seat are in the 18-19 age group, officials of a poll body here had earlier said.