Violence-hit Trilokpuri votes for security
7 Feb 2015 11:51 PM GMT
The AAP-wave faced a tough contest in Trilokpuri due to voters’ polarisation. A clear visible divide was seen between the communities and sympathy for the widow of former BJP MLA Sunil Vaidya could prove to be a decisive factor.
Trilokpuri is dominated by Dalits, Muslims and other lower class communities who struggle everyday with basic amenities like absence of schools, hospitals or water supply on a daily basis. The assembly seat has over 2 lakh voters with majority of them Valmikis (40 per cent) and other Dalits (20 per cent). After the October, 2014, communal violence, those traditional Congress supporters switched to BJP.
Muslims also form a sizeable chunk and comprise around 20 per cent of the voters while the other communities make up for the remaining 20 per cent. While Muslims are divided among AAP, BSP and Congress, rest of the voters are backing BJP.
“Dhingan’s tenure as MLA of Trilokpuri was a matter of huge debate. He had not been able to handle the crisis effectively. Though nobody is saying that Dhingan had a role to play in the riots, he did not seem too visible at a time when people of the area needed his support. He lost ground because of his inaction. BJP’s Sunil Vaidya had done a lot of work for this constituency and we will vote for his wife Kiran, who is the BJP candidate from Trilokpuri,” said Rakesh Sharma, a local resident.
However, the Muslims said they would not vote for Kiran. Dhingan had trounced BJP’s Sunil Vaidya by 17,000 votes in 2013.
Trilokpuri is dominated by Dalits, Muslims and other lower class communities who struggle everyday with basic amenities like absence of schools, hospitals or water supply on a daily basis. The assembly seat has over 2 lakh voters with majority of them Valmikis (40 per cent) and other Dalits (20 per cent). After the October, 2014, communal violence, those traditional Congress supporters switched to BJP.
Muslims also form a sizeable chunk and comprise around 20 per cent of the voters while the other communities make up for the remaining 20 per cent. While Muslims are divided among AAP, BSP and Congress, rest of the voters are backing BJP.
“Dhingan’s tenure as MLA of Trilokpuri was a matter of huge debate. He had not been able to handle the crisis effectively. Though nobody is saying that Dhingan had a role to play in the riots, he did not seem too visible at a time when people of the area needed his support. He lost ground because of his inaction. BJP’s Sunil Vaidya had done a lot of work for this constituency and we will vote for his wife Kiran, who is the BJP candidate from Trilokpuri,” said Rakesh Sharma, a local resident.
However, the Muslims said they would not vote for Kiran. Dhingan had trounced BJP’s Sunil Vaidya by 17,000 votes in 2013.
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