Delhi polls: Gokalpur records highest voter turnout

NEW DELHI: Development is yet to touch most lives in the densely populated constituency of Gokalpur, which is a cluster of 45 unauthorized colonies and a resettlement colony. However, this seat, one of the 12 reserved SC constituencies, recorded the highest voter turnout of 73.46 per cent on Saturday.

Of the 1.94 lakh voters, about 90,000 (46 per cent) are from scheduled sub-castes like Khatik, Mallaha, Koli and Valmiki and their votes decide the winner.

It is not just the highest turnout that sets this constituency apart, but also the fact that the constituents here have voted for change every election and not repeated an MLA.



None of its elected representatives in the past 22 years have managed to retain their seat.

In December 2013 polls, Gokalpur was one of the top performers registering a voter turnout of 70.88 per cent. Nine of 12 reserved constituencies rejected Congress and chose AAP, but this was one of the two seats which chose a BJP candidate.

Many here are not surprised by the high turnout as this election was a high profile one considering the fact that three ex-MLAs and the daughter of an ex-MLA were in the fray.



Intense mobilization by all candidates in the assembly with a dominant Dalit vote base seems to have brought out more voters than ever before. Also, residents here are restless with pressing development issues remaining unaddressed for decades.

Residents here feel the pinch of not having a government hospital to cater to the needs of the poor and low income group families. Schools are few and sewers have only started coming to some areas. The vote this time, thus, is probably seen as yet another attempt by residents to bring their plight into focus.

The February 10 verdict will be a test for the entire heavyweight line-up, which includes AAP's Fateh Singh, who was BJP's MLA from 1993 to 1998, BSP's former MLA Surender Kumar, and Ranjeet Kashyap who was the 2013 legislator from BJP. Congress, which hasn't won Gokalpur since 2003, fielded Rinku, municipal councillor from Nand Nagri ward of the neighbouring Seemapuri assembly constituency.

Even though Rinku is not a household name in Delhi politics, she is no stranger to Gokalpur being Roop Chand's daughter.

Chand, the MLA from Gokalpur between 1998 and 2003, wrote the book, 'Dr BR Ambedkar: Neither a Freedom Fighter nor the Architect of the Constitution', which turned many voters and Dalit groups against him. But this time Congress fielded her in the assembly election dismissing the controversy as a non-issue and projecting her as an honest and the right choice for the seat.