Some skeptical, others back CM: Scenes at Govindpuri Extension as Atishi, Sahi Ram come calling

Govindpuri Extension, which has Kalkaji, CR Park and Tughlakabad as its neighbours, is an unauthorised colony where AAP’s support base is believed to be sizeable. For 70-year-old Surjeet, facilities in a nearby government school, where her granddaughter studied, was reason enough to support AAP. “We’re with Kejriwal, he should run the government from jail… They (BJP) have put him in jail as per a conspiracy…,” she said.

Her neighbour Savita Nagar, though, said she had lost faith in Kejriwal. “Whoever will do corruption will go to jail, and Kejriwal has done a big scam. There’s no smoke without fire… Our family always supported the BJP, but we voted for him and his party in 2020 …We thought he would bring change… but today he has formed an alliance with the same party (Congress) which he once stood against,” she said. A fan of UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Nagar said he had turned UP into an “elite state”. “Noida used to be in the limelight for crimes but under his government, criminals are in control,” she added.

During the door-to-door campaign, Atishi said people will give BJP a “befitting reply” for arresting Kejriwal. “There is a lot of anger among people over the illegal arrest of CM Kejriwal… In this LS polls, people will give them a befitting reply… people will show their anger with votes…,” she said.

Pehelwan, a first-time Lok Sabha candidate and present Tughlakabad MLA, meanwhile, sought support for AAP and Kejriwal. For many, support for Kejriwal stems from the free power, water and bus ride for women schemes.

For Jaspal Singh, however, disappointment with sitting BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri was also a factor.

“Over the past five years, he has never visited us. AAP leaders are more approachable… ,” said Jaspal Singh, a computer networking professional.

(The writer is an intern at The Indian Express)