Delhi polls: Rohini gets prime status, PM Modi to hold rally next month

NEW DELHI: Developed over 30 years ago, the sub-city of Rohini is a crucial seat for the upcoming assembly elections. Carved out by the delimitation commission in 2008, it was regarded as a BJP stronghold till Jai Bhagwan Aggarwal lost to AAP's Rajesh Garg in 2013. This time, the party has roped in old-timer Vijender Gupta who contested the New Delhi seat against Arvind Kejriwal and Sheila Dikshit the last time. This constituency seems to have a prime status for BJP as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address a rally in Rohini next month.

Gupta, a resident of Sector 9 for over 25 years, calls Rohini his home turf. If he manages to win, it would be his first victory in state-level elections. What works in his favour is familiarity with the constituency and being elected thrice in the municipal polls with the highest margin in Delhi.

On Sunday, Gupta toured the constituency and visited several societies in Sector 18. This area has over 1.7 lakh voters, mostly from the middle-class and lower middle-class segment. There are 154 cooperative housing societies, the rest being DDA flats. Two villages and JJ clusters form the lower class voters. "Residents know that I am accountable for their day-to-day issues because I am from this area," he said, while walking around and meeting residents of societies like Platinum Enclave, Dataram, Unity, Utsav, etc.

In Platinum Enclave, a large number of women surrounded Gupta and complained that the civic authorities had demolished an 'illegal' temple in their complex. "If the temple is not rebuilt, no one will vote from here," threatened a resident, Kusum. Gupta pacified residents by saying that as he had recently become a DDA member he would look into amending the layout plans of societies, if elected.

The issues concerning Rohini are all development based. "We need a transport network so Metro stations are better connected. Rohini also needs cultural centres. We already have BJP in the municipalities and at the Centre. What we need now is a government in Delhi so there is better coordination and all projects and plans are executed quickly," he said to residents at Utsav society.