All eyes on the migrant vote

Chandigarh is witnessing a steady rise in the number of Lok Sabha candidates who are originally from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,courtesy its burgeoning migrant population. Needless to say,these candidates are counting on the votes of the migrants to secure a seat in Parliament.

Haffiz Anwar-ul-Haq,the Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate from Chandigarh,was born in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh. Nephew of a minister in UP Chief Minister Mayawati’s cabinet,he has been living in Chandigarh for the last around 15 years.

Another such candidate is Goswami V B Bharti of Janata Dal (United). He came to the city around eight years ago from Patna. His father has been politically active in Bihar and associated with George Fernandes for the last 30 years.

Goswami says: “I could have contested in Bihar and won the elections. But I like challenges and so am contesting from the city.”

Paras Nath,the candidate for Apna Dal,is counting on the votes of the people from UP,his native state. Mohammad Ibrahim Siddiqui,the spokesperson for the party who fought the last Lok Sabha polls,had received 213 votes. He is confident that the migrants from UP would vote for the party this time.

Besides,there are several Independent candidates in the fray who are counting on the migrant vote.

The issues taken up by major political parties increasingly revolve around colonies. Promises galore for them — from rehabilitation,better infrastructure in colonies to permanent water and electricity connection. There has also been a rise in the number of leaders from the colonies whose presence is quite prominent in the Municipal Corporation.

Promises galore for the large vote bank

With a substantial increase in their population,residents in the colonies of the city constitute a large vote bank. At present,there are more than 2.2 lakh voters in the colonies and slums. Though the total number of voters in the city is 5.22 lakh,the voting percentage in the urban areas remains abysmally low. While 75 to 80 per cent polling is recorded in villages and colonies,only 35 to 40 per cent urban voters have been found to have exercised their franchise in the past elections. The disinterest of the urban voters ensures the parties’ focus on colonies. The attention being paid to the migrants was evident at the recent rally of Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati. In a gathering largely comprising of colony dwellers,BSP candidate Harmohan Dhawan offered various sops for the people.