‘Sympathy’ and ‘outsider’ are now the key words in Rajendra Nagar assembly seat in the national capital, where the election to the assembly was rescheduled after the BJP candidate allegedly committed suicide in the midst of campaigning. The saffron party has now fielded Asha Yogi, the wife of its candidate late Puran Chand Yogi, in a bid to capitalise on sympathy to retain the seat. She takes on Congress' Ramakant Goswami, a two-time MLA from Patel Nagar. Polling will be held in this constituency on December 13 while voting for 69 constituencies was held on November 29. Leaving nothing to chance, Congress campaign is led by Urban Development Minister Raj Kumar Chouhan while BJP has roped in veteran leader and former chief minister Madan Lal Khurana, who has considerable clout among Punjabi voters. Termed by his opponents as an "outsider", Goswami is seeking election from the seat, claiming, "Puran Chand Yogi has done nothing in the area for the past ten years. See water, sewage system and roads; he has failed on all fronts." Yogi was MLA for 15 years from this seat. ".what he can talk of the local problems. He is an outsider. In some areas people face water and cleanliness problem. I promise to look at them after being selected," countered Asha, his BJP rival. "Senior citizens in the area face problems for which I am bound to do something. Besides, I have some plans for the women also," Asha said while "promising to fulfil the dreams of Yogiji". Asha claimed she joined politics only after her husband's death because people from the villages and the locality asked her to continue with Yogi's work. "Sympathy wave 'to hota hi hai' (Sympathy wave is there)," Asha said when asked whether she is also targeting sympathy votes. On the other hand, Goswami banks on his image of "hard worker" to wrest the seat from the saffron party after 15 years. "People in Patel Nagar know about my hard work. Workers are supporting me and they will ensure my victory from here. "After delimitation also around 30 per cent area from Patel Nagar has come to Rajendra Nagar and is an advantage for me," he said. To a query that whether sympathy wave can damage his poll prospects, he said, "Yogiji was a good man, but did nothing for the people. Better ask Ashaji whether she will gain sympathy votes." With nearly 1,37,680 electors and twelve contestants, the Rajendra Nagar constituency goes for polls on December 13, when people will cast their votes at 160 polling booths. BSP's candidate Trilok Chand Sharma, on the other hand, is banking on the anger of the people against the Congress and the BJP. In the previous 2003 polls, Yogi had defeated his nearest rival of Congress Raj Kumar Kohli by 891 votes. The Rajendra Nagar constituency in the post-delimitation phase includes some parts of Karol Bagh, Old and New Rajendra Nagar, Inderpuri, Naraina Vihar, Naraina village, Kathputli colony and Pandav Nagar among others.
