The Rama Krishna (RK Puram) Assembly Constituency is one of the crucial seats among the 70 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in the national Capital. Street lights, poor roads beset with perennial water logging and potholes, parking space and cleanliness are among wide range of issues on which people want to seek answers from their representative.
RK Puram is primarily a group of colonies housing Central Government servants. There are five Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) clusters with thousands of people living in subhuman conditions. A mixed bag of voters, the constituency also accommodates people from varied background from elite to upper middle class, middle class and people from Below the Poverty Line (BPL) segment.
"I will vote on the basis of work done in the city including my area. In the last five years, we heard and seen the work done for the welfare and betterment of the people and the society. However, a lot more work is still needed to be done. Street lights and last mile connectivity and more frequency of Public transport is needed in many parts R K Puram area," said Sindhu, a teacher, resident of Sector 1.
R K Puram seat was won by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress both but traditionally it has been Congress seat with the party winning it thrice in 1998, 2003, 2008. However, in 2013 BJP MLA Anil Sharma won the seat. Parmila Tokas the current Aam Aadmi Party MLA wrested the seat from BJP in 2015. Tokas who is a local, has been once again fielded by the AAP.
"Nothing has changed in Munirka Village. The streets and the roads here are very congested. Rather, improving roads, infrastructure facilities for the pedestrians and providing clean water, employment and shelter for the needy people, the AAP government is giving everything free by making the people lazier. It gave subsidy in electricity but people living in rent accommodations are still suffering because of the tenants being charge Rs 10-12 per unit. The entire bill is zero but tenants have to pay huge amount and this issue needs to addressed. If we request landlords not to charge, they will throw us out. Though AAP government has passed a law in this regard but nobody is willing to accept it," said Ranjit Kumar, a furniture shopkeeper.
Another Munirka resident Jahan Ara, a graphic designer by profession says, "I will vote on the basis of how much they have made life easier for the underprivileged. How much they have done in education sector and women's safety. Medical sector needs reforms. I would like to see my locality clean with proper roads, less pollution, more CCTVs to decrease the theft in and around the area also to make everyone feel safe and rein in the excesses of the land lords."
A resident from Vasant Vihar, C-Block said, "Here, in Vasant Vihar people have good facility and money but Aam Aadmi Party government has surely done a lot of work for the people especially for women like free bus rides. Earlier, power-cut was frequently high and mostly every household here had generators but now there is no power cut issue and the electricity subsidy is very useful for people." Vasant Vihar is one of the posh colonies of Delhi with known personality and Bollywood celebrity Karisma Kapoor owning a bungalow in the area. It houses several embassies and residence of diplomats and is a famous address of the national capital.
"I will vote for AAP. I earn Rs 15000 a month and Rs 2000 was spending earlier on my bus and metro fare but now I save that money. After the free ride scheme, I have also started coaching alongside my work. Everyone women who is independently traveling with a security guard in the bus will and should vote for Arvind Kejriwal," said Aishwarya, a first time voter and a resident of RK Puram and works in media firm.
While numbers of people lauded AAP for its schemes especially electricity, Aam Aadmi mohalla Clinics and free ride, some group of people criticized it for giving everything for free.
Jyoti, a resident of Mohammad Pur village said, "I bought a home long back in Uttamnagar and the area was in a pathetic condition with open drainage, no water connection and poor roads and I cursed my mother for buying a house in such a place but recently I visited the area. The streets have proper roads, sewer and water connection and all the basic amenities plus every Mohalla clinics are the best initiative done by the government. Earlier, for every basic ailment, the people either had Safdurjung hospital with huge line or private clinics but now that is changed. I voted for BJP in Lok Sabha elections but in Delhi, it's different." The Pioneer tried to talk to the candidates of AAP, BJP and Congress but they were not available.
