This Article is From Feb 08, 2015

Delhi Elections 2015: Muslims Want Infrastructure, Women's Safety

Muslim voters of Okhla say civic problems in the area are pressing.

New Delhi:

The 11% Muslim vote in Capital could be the deciding factor in eight seats in the Delhi Assembly elections. And "appeasement politics," say members of the community, will not be enough to win them.

A majority of Muslim voters across eight seats - spread across Old Delhi, Seelampur in East and Okhla  in South Delhi - wish to see results. The issues close to their hearts include infrastructure, civic amenities, communal tension and women's safety.

In Chandni Chowk, women said safety was an issue for them, while in riot-hit Trilokpuri, communal tension continues to be the main worry. In South Delhi's Okhla, poor infrastructure and civic amenities were foremost on people's mind.

Of the eight seats, four of the Congress' Muslim candidates won in the last assembly elections. Of the rest the JDU, BJP and AAP won a seat each.

But the community does not appear to have much of a choice, at least in Okhla, which registered a turnout of just about 60%, much less than the overall turnout .

All three parties - the BJP, Congress and AAP - have fielded candidates who contested the last time. While the Congress has gone in for its sitting MLA, the BJP candidate is an import from the BSP. The AAP candidate fought on an LJP ticket in the last election.

All three parties are eyeing the Muslim vote - which is around 60% in this constituency.

"Okhla has many problems -- from sewage, to bad roads, traffic congestion, garbage heaps or power cuts. But no development work happens," said a resident.  

"Muslim issues are same as the Aam Aadmi issues - those of bijli, sadak, paani," said AAP candidate Amanatullah Khan.

But Congress' sitting MLA Asif Mohammad Khan, who is contesting from the seat for the third time, is confident. "AAP is fighting in (Arvind) Kejriwal's name, the BJP in Modi's name but I am fighting on my own name, not the Congress party's."

BJP candidate Braham Singh said he hoped to get votes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "development plank".

The problem, said Mohd Reyaz, a PhD student at Jamia Millia Islamia, was the "crisis of able Muslim leadership". We don't have a leader to take up real issues," he said.

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