Delhi elections 2015: Riot-scarred Trilokpuri keeps parties guessing

NEW DELHI: BJP faces one of its stiffer tests in Trilokpuri constituency where it has fielded a political novice, widow of its one-time MLA Sunil Vaidya. No party can consider Trilokpuri a safe seat as it has elected a different candidate three out of five times.

Kiran Vaidya, who was pitchforked into the contest after Sunil Vaidya's death in mid-December, faces AAP's Raju Dhingan, who won in December 2013, and Congress' Brahm Pal, who won three times in a row from 1993 to 2008.

Even with the BJP machinery behind her, Vaidya is a relatively obscure figure in the constituency, and she is conscious of her lack of experience. She consulted many people while filing her nomination form. "Even a slight mistake could have cost me the candidature," she says. Her nervousness showed in a 20-second speech outside the local party office on Wednesday in which she invoked her husband's name several times.

She has memorized the speech well and relies on it to answer queries about her priorities for the seat. "My husband earned a lot of goodwill with his relentless and selfless work. I intend to carry on with projects he could not finish," she told TOI.

But detractors accuse her of showing ambition in her hour of grief. Some also allege her husband played a role in stoking riots in the area around Diwali last year. Kiran Vaidya denies this. She says she saw riots in the area for the first time in 20 years and "Everything that happened in the area was done by others. I will never discriminate between people because of their faith or caste".

Brahm Pal, whose winning streak ended when he was denied a Congress ticket in 2008, seems relaxed going into the elections. "We gave the constituency the best of infrastructure when we were in power. None of my opponents have as much experience as I do, and that is my campaign peg," he told TOI at his house in Gharoli Village.

Raju Dhingan, who learnt the ropes of politics under Pal, now calls him corrupt. "People say I accomplished in 49 days what MLAs before me couldn't do in all the years they were in power," he says. He also claims credit for quelling the riots.

While none of the parties has made the riots an election issue, it is likely to sway the verdict. BJP expects polarization of the SC-Valmiki caste votes and a sympathy wave to see Vaidya through. And with Congress seemingly in disarray, the Muslim vote is likely to be with AAP.

"What happened was bad for people and business. We want a government that helps restore peace and treats everyone impartially," said Sarla, a housewife in Trilokpuri's Block 27.