Better roads, sewers that don’t overflow, proper drinking water: What voters want in East Delhi’s Trilokpuri this election

She mentions the local Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools her two children go to, how her eight-year-old daughter Natasha got her coaching fees reimbursed under the AAP’s government’s initiative for students from the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and the local mohalla clinic that works for illnesses such as “cough and cold”.

Trilokpuri, predominantly a Dalit and Muslim area bordering Uttar Pradesh, is a reserved constituency for SCs. For three consecutive elections, people here have voted for the AAP. In the 2020 polls, AAP’s Rohit Kumar defeated BJP’s Kiran Vaidya by 12,486 votes.

For the upcoming elections on February 5, Kumar has been replaced by Anjana Parcha who previously served as a ward councillor in Trilokpuri. The BJP has fielded local leader Ravikant Ujjain while the Congress candidate is Amardeep.

Incidentally, Kumar, along with six other MLAs, quit the AAP on Friday citing “corruption” within the party.

Change vs second chances

Across the constituency, several residents The Indian Express speaks to have a list of complaints — overflowing sewers, poor maintenance of public parks, lack of drinking water, bad roads, safety issues, and drug addictions among young children to name a few.

“We have given Kejriwal a chance for 10 years… There are more fundamental issues such as jobs, which the Narendra Modi government can give,” says Subhash, 42, a cleaner at the MCD office.

His 18-year-old son Karan, who has dropped out of college and is learning to do “options trading”, agrees with his father. “Ye saare schemes bekaar hai (all these welfare schemes are useless),” he says.

In nearby Block 22, where a majority of Tamil-speaking people reside, the buildings are old — the paint is peeling and the iron gates are rusted. For residents of this locality, this is among the least of their concerns; it is outweighed by civic issues.

Swamidurai, a homemaker from Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul, says they often have to call private contractors to clean the sewers as the “discharge mixes with our drinking water”. She says each house pools in Rs 50 for this.
For Papathi D, even Rs 50 is a big amount. “My husband is paralysed. His medicines are so expensive, I can’t give money every month to clean the roads or the sewer,” she says.

She also complains that the mohalla clinics neither have facilities for treatment nor medicines for her husband. “I had to start selling vada and sambar outside my house to bring in some income… It does not matter who I vote for, nothing will change,” she adds.

At a cart selling South Indian food, Ashok, 59, a retired employee of a private company, complains about the state of the local park. “We are not sure if we want this party (AAP). They keep saying there is no money, so we will vote for someone who has the money. BJP has it,” he smiles.

Two other men, waiting for their turn at the cart, join the conversation. “Boys aged 12 to 13 years are addicted to drugs,” says one of them. “We do not know how they get it or who is selling it to them, but it is ruining their lives. To get money, they now resort to snatching and stealing.”

Kilometres away in Block 15, a few stray dogs bark near the meat shops. A few men are busy listening to political debates on their phones, the sound of which reaches Sanjida’s house.

Pulling a black dupatta over her head, the 60-year-old steps out to chat. Her main worry is her elder son — he is unemployed even after completing his graduation. When talk turns to the election, she is clear about who to support.

“All the government does is instigate fights among Hindus and Muslims. Aafat macha rakha hai har jagha, humko AAP hi chahiye. (They have created chaos everywhere, we only want AAP),” she says.

Her neighbours believe that AAP has made some positive changes in terms of education and by offering free bus rides to women, but none of this has directly helped the Muslim community.

“Our business is finished because of inflation… The price of flour is now equivalent to the price of a cylinder; what will a poor man buy, flour or a cylinder,” asks Zubair Ahmad, 65, an owner of a tea stall.

Ahmad says for the last 25 years, the drains in the area have not been cleared. “If the government had provided any facility to us, then we would have believed them. But there is no hope,” he says.

The constituency is also home to members of the Sikh community.

Kawaljeet Singh Sandhu, 45, an auto driver, says several Punjabi families used to stay here till 1984. “But in the riots that year, a lot of people were killed including my two brothers. After that, many of us moved to areas like Kondli and Tilak Nagar.”

The area saw the worst episodes of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. It also saw a communal clash in 2014.

Among the community too, there are several complaints on the state of affairs. Amanpreet Singh, who sells electronic parts, says the problem of encroachment has increased. “If you take your vehicle out, you will not be able to move even a few metres in the evening.”

Dharmajeet Kaur, 55, says everything has become worse since the AAP came to power. “Before this government, things were fine. I have been living here for the last 30 years. This park near my house has no gate. We complained so many times but to no avail. In the end, we decided that we would use our money to place a gate at the entrance… but someone stole the gate.”

“Our sewers are clogged. There are piles of garbage on the road. When we ask the sanitation workers to clean it, they say they are temporary employees and are already burdened with work. In the end, we hire private workers to clean it. The government has not given anything to the Sikh community,” she alleges.

Others maintain their support for the AAP.

“(PM Narendra) Modi used to say Kejriwal is giving freebies but he is doing the same this election, so what is the difference? We will vote for Kejriwal because I know he tries. He is not an evil man. He tried to make things better. We will give him another chance,” says Sandhu.

Addressing a jansabha at Trilokpuri last month, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal drew a comparison between AAP-ruled Delhi and other BJP-ruled states. “If you choose the lotus symbol on election day, electricity will go by the time you come back home… Look at the state of schools in Uttar Pradesh, and look at the state of schools in Delhi. If you choose the wrong button, schools will get spoiled. Choose the right button, and ensure employment for your family.”

Countering Kejriwal, BJP candidate Ujjain says this time, the “tide will turn”. “The lanes in Tilokpuri are choking with garbage. The sewer water overflows. The mohalla clinic they (AAP) talk about is lying empty. We are sure we will win,” he says.