This time there is a three-cornered contest, keeping an eye on key issues and voters.

This time a close contest is being seen in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar assembly seat. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has again expressed confidence in sitting MLA Somnath Bharti. On the other hand, BJP has fielded former state president Satish Upadhyay. At the same time, Congress has made Jitendra Kumar Kochhar its candidate.

History of Malviya Nagar seat

• 1977: The first election was held on the seat, in which the Janata Party defeated the Congress.
• 1998, 2003 and 2008: Congress won three consecutive times.
• 2013 to date: AAP won this seat in three consecutive elections.

Key issues: Sewers, broken roads and waterlogging

Lack of basic facilities remains the biggest election issue in Malviya Nagar.

Major problems:

1. Sewer problems:
   • Sewer problem is a big problem for the people in Gautam Nagar, Sarvodaya Enclave, Krishna Nagar and Arjun Nagar.
2. Water logging:
   • The situation in Malviya Nagar Market and surrounding areas worsens due to waterlogging during rains.
3. Encroachment:
   • Encroachment on Press Enclave Marg and Aurobindo Marg disrupts traffic.
4. Lack of parking:
   • The problem of parking in markets and residential areas is serious.
5. Roads and cleanliness:
   • Roads are broken in many areas and the state of cleanliness is very bad.

Local people’s opinion:

• Krishnadev Baral (Gautam Nagar):
  • “The road in front of my house has been dug up. It has become difficult to travel due to bad roads. I have saved myself from falling many times.”
• Manoj Chauhan (Khirki Village):
  • “Sewer overflow and dirty water coming into the house causes a lot of trouble. In December, three of my children fell ill after drinking dirty water. The cleanliness system should be proper.”

Voter Profile:

• Total Voters: 1,55,712
  • Male: 83,067
  • Female: 72,641
  • Third Gender: 04

2020 Assembly Election Results:

Election scenario:

1. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP):
   • Somnath Bharti is contesting the elections on the basis of the development work done during his tenure.
   • In the last election, AAP got 57.97% votes, which shows a strong base.
2. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP):
   • By fielding Satish Upadhyay, BJP has shown its seriousness about this seat.
   • It will be important for the party to focus on issues like encroachment and cleanliness.
3. Congress:
   • Jitendra Kumar Kochhar is contesting the elections with the challenge of reviving the party.
   • In 2020, Congress got only 3.18% votes, which shows their weak position.