NEW DELHI: In the heart of West Delhi’s Rajouri Garden, a bustling borough of Punjabi-speaking area, street vendors call out their wares while vibrant wedding shops draw hurried customers.
Beneath this chaos, a simmering discontent brews as this neighbourhood braces itself for the fierce battle between BJP’ new emerging Sikh face Manijnder Sirsa and AAP MLA Dhanwati Chandela.
Amar Preet Singh, a street vendor with lines of frustration etched across his face, stands at the market’s edge, his voice heavy with disappointment.
“Dhanwati Chandela hasn’t stepped into this area since she was elected. She comes here only to shop. That is her only accomplishment,” he says, his words tinged with both anger and resignation.
He recalls a stark memory—the theft of six water motors from nearby Tilak Nagar—and the indifference that followed. “Jarnail Singh of AAP did nothing. We’re tired of being ignored.”
For Singh, his hope now rests with Sirsa, whose reputation as a community worker inspires faith. “He understands us. If anyone can bring change, it’s him,” Singh asserts.
Neeraj, another long-time resident of the area, adds his voice to the chorus of dissatisfaction.
“Nothing has changed in years—no roads, no toilets, no action by civic authorities,” he slams AAP.
Promises by the AAP government to clean the Yamuna and transform lives have faded into shadows of broken dreams.
“They call Kejriwal a visionary, but I call him ‘Paltu Ram’—all talk and no action,” he says, his sarcasm cutting through the air like a blade.
Dileep Kumar, who has spent 18 years in the area, shares his frustration too.
His vote, he says, is for BJP, driven by his belief in Narendra Modi’s leadership. “Manjinder Sirsa will work for us. AAP has failed to fix even basic issues like drainage and roads,” he explains.
Skepticism hangs heavy in his words as he questions AAP’s promises of financial assistance: “How can they afford it? Delhi’s budget isn’t limitless,”
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But not everyone is ready to announce the winner yet.
Kanika, another resident, sees the race as neck-and-neck between AAP and BJP.
Her concerns, however, are deeply personal—a tree leaning dangerously close to her house, supported only by fragile wires. Despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken.
“Every day is a struggle. Hanging wires, broken parking spaces—it’s like no one cares,” she quips, finally giving in to hopes by Sirsa to get rid of AAP’s lofty promises.
