This was one of the eight seats retained by Cong in 2013.
By Nivedita Bhardwaj, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Mustafabad in northeast Delhi is a constituency with a sizable number of Muslims, who are able to swing results either way thanks to mass voting habits. When in 2013 assembly elections, entire Delhi saw a clean sweep of Congress’ seats, Mustafabad – and neighbouring two seats, Seelampur and Gandhinagar – was among the eight seats that Congress retained.
It was mainly because of the dominant-Muslim vote. And hence, circa 2015, the incumbent Congress candidate Hasan Ahmad does look like secure in his seat ahead of the February 7 polling day even as vocal supporters of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claim the result on February 10 will surprise everyone.
Nizamuddin Saifi, BJP Minority Morcha’s district vice president (sitting, centre) with others from Mustafabad area. “AAP’s apology of no use,” he says.
The areas under the Mustafabad constituency – which has a mixed demography of Muslims and Hindus that affects the result – include: Shiv Vihar, Ambika Vihar, Harijan Basti (Karawal Nagar), Rama Garden, Suriya Vihar, Roshan Vihar, Sadatpur, New Mustafabad, Mustafabad, Dilshad Masjid, Mustafabad Extension, Ziauddinpur and Brijpuri. All of them, along the Pushta Road, congested, narrow lanes, unkempt garbage littered all over and over flowing sewer lines/open drains, all crying for development.
Almost all 10 assembly segments of the northeast Delhi Parliamentary seat – Mustafabad is one of these 10 – have a sizable migrant population from the Poorvanchal areas – almost 45%. Even in Mustafabad constituency, scores of voters are first-generation or second-generation migrants from Poorvanchal. So, irrespective of whether he is a Hindu or a Muslim, voters are checking out if the candidate can trace roots to Poorvanchal.
Allah Baksh, from a furniture shop, says: “When this area was part of Karawal Nagar constituency, it was a BJP seat. It was only after 2008 delimitation that Mustafabad was carved out and saw a Muslim MLA – Congress’Hasan Ahmad. It is evident voting is religion based.”
AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal addresses a mass meeting at Mustafabad on January 19 (Pic courtesy: AAP)
In December 2013, of the 1,47,082 votes polled out of total 2,04,982, Congress’ Hasan Ahmad garnered 56,250 followed by BJP’s Jagdish Pradhan getting 54,354 and the AAP candidate Kapil Dhama on third number 19,759. AAP has since changed its candidate.
Imtiyaz-Ullah, 61, is a traditional jewelry worker from Brijpuri Road, says, “I had voted for AAP in 2013. But this time round, I am favouring Congress.” Why? He offers no reason.
The Congress is going all out to retain the seat. According to a report in Dainik Jaagran published on January 14, Satbir Bansal Satte, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader from the area and someone who had contested municipal polls, joined the Congress along with scores of his supporters.
Prior to that, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Delhi Congress chief, had sought to remind people how Kejriwal-led AAP was BJP’s B team. “People have understood very well that AAP is a B team of BJP and contesting only to eat into Congress vote,” Lovely was quoted by newspaper DNA.
Congress meeting in Mustafabad in first week of January (Pic credit: iamin.in)
On its own, the BJP is hoping people’s choice of Congress will change to BJP this time. Nizamuddin Saifi, BJP Minority Morcha’s district vice president, said, “To start with there is lot of election fatigue. It is all because of (AAP leader Arvind) Kejriwal that we are witnessing a re-election. He had resigned, later apologised, but it makes no difference now.”
AAP, in turn, is banking on the “good work” done by Haji Yunus in the area. The social worker, a party official said, is connected with many organizations and works for communal harmony in the area. Convenor of ‘Tameer Mulk va Millat’ in 2009, connected to ‘Akhil Bharatiya Haj Umrah Sangathan’ he is involved in education for Muslim women too.
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