MCD Elections: Delhi's Deepak Vihar Residents Boycott Polls Over Empty Promises

Several residents of Southwest Delhi's Deepak Vihar have decided to boycott upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls (MCD elections) after years of incomplete promises. 

Posters have come up in Deepak Vihar saying "Chunav ka bahiskar, humara vote humara adhikaar, kaam nahi toh vote nahi" (boycotting polls, our vote our right, no work no vote). Unpaved roads, blocked drains, and dilapidated school buildings are some major problems faced by the residents that make them take such a step.

Deepak Vihar comes under the Sainik Enclave ward of the Vikas Puri assembly constituency. 

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pitched incumbent Reeta Vinay Gaur for the polls, Congress and Aaam Aadmi Party (AAP) have fielded Aarti and Nirmala Kumari respectively from the ward. The elections to 250 wards of MCD will be held on December 4. The results will be out on December 7.

Deepak Vihar Resident Welfare Association (RWA) has ensured no candidate comes there for the campaign. When AAP MLA Mahendra Yadav came to campaign in the area and tried to pacify the locals on November 16, he was asked to leave the ward immediately.

"We have just seen promises in every election during the last 20 years. This time the residents have decided not to vote in the MCD polls," said Jitendra Tyagi, RWA president, adding that Deepak Vihar has about 15,000 residents and most of them have decided to boycott MCD elections.

The residents said they will also boycott assembly polls if boycotting this election does not work.

Accidents are common due to poor condition of the roads, according to locals.

"We are not asking for a hospital or a school...But please make roads, every other day we hear of a bike accident," said Arun, a resident.

Arun took a PTI team to a road in the area which is touching Vikas Nagar. The Deepak Vihar's side of the road was unpaved while another side is in good condition.

"Every road is full of garbage, sewers are choked. The MLA comes now and again, and promises that the work will start soon but 20 years of wait is not enough?" asks another resident Jyoti. She added, "I have been facing these problems for the last 20 years...No water line, no sewer. The only thing I have seen here is leaders laying the foundation stone of development work." 

Highlighting the condition of the roads, Arun said children are forced to take leave during the rainy season. 

"Roads are full of water in the rainy season. So we can’t send kids to school," he said.

Deepak Vihar RWA secretary Varun said, "We were told that the maps of two colonies are overlapping, due to which work has not been done. We have been running from office to office. The MLA is from the Aam Aadmi Party, the councillor from BJP and MP also from BJP. But no one has done anything for us. This election we want to send a message to them - 'no work no vote'."

(With PTI inputs)