Delhi: Could working class issues determine electoral outcome?

Lack of clean water and sanitation, inadequate housing, inflation—pressing issues that could be the decisive factor as Delhi votes on May 25.

Radhe Shyam Prashad, a waste collector in Paharganj, is a BSc Mathematics graduate but had to drop out of a Master’s course due to financial constraints. Paharganj falls under the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. | Photo Credit: Vedaant Lakhera

As India gears up for its biggest election to date, the perception of the working population, constituting roughly 80 per cent of the electorate in Delhi according to one estimate, becomes paramount. Initiatives introduced over the last decade, like the Central government’s ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makaan’, along with the Aam Aadmi Party’s commitment to providing free piped water and 200 units of electricity to every household in the Union Territory, are therefore being scrutinised by the electorate.

As voters in Delhi get ready to vote on May 25, interactions with the working classes reveal the actual vikas (development)—or lack thereof—highlighting the magnitude of the gap between what is real and what is not. The emerging narratives paint a picture of the struggles faced by them and marginalised communities.

North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency: Seemapuri

On the north-eastern border of Delhi are the slums of Seemapuri. Local people here said that they started building their jhuggis (slum dwellings) in the 1970s. In the same period, refugees from Bangladesh as well as other migrants also made Seemapuri their home. This neighbourhood consists of semi-pucca dwellings without access to potable water and adequate electricity. Most of the inhabitants earn their livelihood as ragpickers, rickshaw pullers, or small-scale shopkeepers.

Bhola Devi, a Bihari migrant, has been living in the area for the past 20 years. When asked if she had witnessed any progress in the decade of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule, she replied: “Vikas toh kuch hua hi nahi hai, mehangai badh gayi hai (There is no development, only inflation).”

The area near New Seemapuri Bus Depot has settlements populated by refugees of Bangladeshi origin, who arrived in the early 1970s, and migrants from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The state-provided community toilets, the only form of sanitation in the area, are themselves in a pitiful state. Local people said that public toilets were frequented more by men and drug abusers and women felt unsafe accessing them.

A debate ensues among young men about the incumbent Lok Sabha representative, actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari of the BJP. They said that the BJP will not win this time as “people are fed up”. Tiwari, the MP from North East Delhi since 2014, is once again the BJP candidate, contesting against the Congress’ Kanhaiya Kumar, who is the INDIA bloc candidate. The men also appeared to favour the Congress-AAP alliance, who are putting up a joint fight for Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats as part of the bloc.

Husnain Ahmed, a waste collector, mentions the mixing of religion with electoral politics: “The BJP does nothing except [talking about] Hindu-Muslim. Here we live like brothers and there they think that we should end this brotherhood to start riots. Religion is important but using the Ram Mandir for votes isn’t acceptable.”

North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency: Jahangirpuri

Jahangirpuri in North Delhi falls under the North West Delhi parliamentary constituency. Like Seemapuri, it has many slum clusters. In 2022, there were large-scale demolitions of property belonging to Muslims, after communal skirmishes broke out in the area.

The acute lack of basic sanitation defines Jahangirpuri’s jhuggis. Women here complained that the drains were always clogged and often overflow into the street and even their homes, resulting in children falling sick due to the sewage. They pointed out that women have to travel to far-off blocks to relieve themselves due to the absence of public toilets. Some claimed that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi workers were paid well but did not do the work required of them.

The lack of clean water remains a pressing issue. Marzeena Bibi (65), reminisces about a time when running water was available for several hours a day. Now, the municipal supply is sporadic, with water being supplied only one or two times a day, sparking tensions among residents. Moreover, the quality of water is substandard. Most of the neighbourhood has been purchasing drinking water for the last eight years, said residents.

Other than sanitation, residents also grapple with problems related to drugs, violence, and theft, which are aggravated by the lack of law enforcement. Some were worried by the growing religious polarisation, which disrupted the general amity between communities and pushed people to take sides on the basis of religion. On April 16, 2022, Jahangirpuri witnessed communal violence between members of the Hindu and Muslim communities on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.

The biggest problem plaguing residents of Jahangirpuri is that of sanitation. They also grapple with problems related to drugs, violence, and theft, which are aggravated by the lack of law enforcement. Jahangirpuri falls under the North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat. | Photo Credit: Vedaant Lakhera

This time in the Lok Sabha election, the BJP has decided to field Yogendra Chandolia in place of the sitting MP Hans Raj Hans in North West Delhi, which is a reserved constituency for Scheduled Castes. Chandolia’s main opponent is the Congress candidate Udit Raj, who had won the seat on the BJP ticket in 2014.

But local people are cynical about the election. “They all come here begging for votes—Congress, BJP, AAP—then they forget about us… nothing ever changes,” said Mukesh Kumar, a resident. When asked about the last 10 years of the Narendra Modi-led Central government, residents expressed disappointment and frustration about the soaring prices and lack of basic amenities.

Most slum dwellers Frontline spoke to appeared to be satisfied by the AAP. Mohammed Raqeeb, a shopkeeper whose lane witnessed demolitions in 2022, said: “Kejriwal’s government is good: bus rides were made free for women, electricity bills were reduced, water bills waived. It’s election time so he has been put in jail. Everyone does scams but BJP gets a clean chit—the other party is always the culprit.”

Even a task as basic as obtaining and updating ration cards troubles Jahangirpuri’s long-time residents. Raj Kumar, who is disabled, has been unable to get his monthly disability allowance. The elderly do not receive their pension funds, making them seek odd jobs for sustenance. Marzeena Bibi, who had registered in the Central government’s PM Shri Yogi Maandhan Yojana (scheme for social security of unorganised workers), describes the issue of uncredited wages in the labour account. “It costs Rs.800 to renew the labour account but only Rs.450 are credited back. I’ve tried multiple times, but it’s futile. The system fails us at every turn.”

New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency: Paharganj

The situation is no different in Paharganj, which is right in the heart of Delhi. The area, which comes under the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, is home to a large slum community. The New Delhi seat, which the BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi won in 2019 by over 2.5 lakh votes over Congress’ Ajay Maken, will now see Bansuri Swaraj (daughter of Sushma Swaraj) of the BJP square off against the AAP’s Somnath Bharti.

Some long-time residents spoke of the lack of basic amenities and how even the water supplied here is “hard and contaminated”. One resident pointed out that more than 40 jhuggis with five occupants each are dependent on only two broken toilets.

A slum dweller family in Old Seemapuri, New Delhi, in April 2020. Seemapuri falls under the Nort East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, which will see a high profile contest between the sitting BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and the Congress’ Kanhaiya Kumar. | Photo Credit: MOORTHY RV

Radhe Shyam Prashad collects garbage for a pittance. Originally from Bihar, he is a BSc Mathematics graduate but had to drop out of the MSc course due to financial constraints. “What kind of India is this? Kissi ke kutte khaate hai, kissi ko roti nahi milti iss desh mein (The country lets some thrive while others go hungry),” he said. He lamented the lack of educational facilities for the poor and the gap between underprivileged children and those who study in private schools.

South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency: Kusumpur Pahadi

Away from the grime of Paharganj lies Vasant Vihar in South Delhi, a place associated with the affluent. But here also lies Kusumpur Pahadi, a large jhuggi-jhopdi settlement.

A group of women guards clusters of blue cans as they wait anxiously for the Jal Board Tanker. “We have repeatedly requested for pipelines, yet no one listens to us. In 40 years, I have never waited days to have water,” said Kamlesh Devi, a female resident in her early 50s. Most residents complain of skin infections due to the borewell water used for bathing.

A group of women guards clusters of blue cans as they wait anxiously for the Jal Board Tanker in Kusumpur Pahadi near Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. Kusumpur Pahadi falls under the South Delhi Lok Sabha seat. | Photo Credit: Vedaant Lakhera

Most residents were critical about the state of progress. Barring one family that thought Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done a good job “by building the public toilets even though it wasn’t his government here”, the people Frontline spoke to in Kusumpur Pahadi seemed to be unhappy with the Central government. In the previous two Lok Sabha elections, the BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri won handily. But this time, the party has fielded Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who will take on the AAP’s Sahiram Pehalwan. It may be noted that in September 2023, Ramesh Bidhuri made Islamophobic remarks in Parliament about fellow MP Danish Ali; however, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla did not take any action against him.

In 2015, the AAP-led State government introduced mohalla (neighbourhood) clinics to provide accessible primary healthcare to vulnerable populations. A doctor in one such clinic here, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there was a heavy load of patients. He said that the poor quality of water had led to an increase in the prevalence of diarrhoea and typhoid.

New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency: Kathputli Colony and Anand Parbat

Housing for the poor is another big challenge. More than a decade ago, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) launched the in-situ slum rehabilitation scheme called Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan in Kathputli Colony near Shadipur. A pilot project to rehabilitate around 3,000 families of artists, especially Rajasthani puppeteers, or kathputli (puppet) performers, was undertaken. The scheme has not taken off, but a transit camp named Anand Parbat, located 3 km away from the original settlement, exists.

Scarcity of water is an issue here at the camp. On “good” days, residents said, the piped water was supplied for two hours before noon. A woman pointed to the overflowing sewage drains right beside a municipal tap, the only source of clean water.

The water situation directly impacts the camp’s children, who are forced to stand in lines for water, often skipping school in the process. “Ab ya toh kamaane wala paani ki line mein lage, ya phir school wale bacche (Either the breadwinner or the schoolchildren must queue for water),”” said Shambhu Dayal, a music teacher.

The camp houses multiple toilet complexes within its premises. But the toilets appeared unfit for usage and women felt unsafe to use them, following multiple cases of alleged sexual harassment of women inside the washrooms.

Shambhu Dayal said: “The houses in the camp are fragile, constructed with materials like plywood, that even stubs of cigarettes and sparks from chulhas (mud stoves) are enough to ignite a major fire. In comparison, the jhuggis provided sturdier accommodation.”

The Anand Parbat transit camp falls under the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. But when asked whether political parties had visited them, pat came the residents’ response: “Nobody comes here.” “Most residents still have the older voter ID of Kathputli Colony and not the relocation camp, and hence are unable to vote,” said Umar, a longtime resident. Not only are the residents deprived of basic amenities, they have also been shunted to an area where no one bothers to look into their concerns, even during elections.

Real election issues

Facilities such as access to clean piped water, permanent housing, ration, sanitation, and petty crime are election issues for people living in slum dwellings. Dr Archana Prasad, a professor of Labour Studies, at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said: “The foremost problem for the working class is achieving dignified living conditions. The State government has tried to tackle this by providing free water and electricity, but this is not sufficient. Ration, water, and unemployment are problems for the poor, casual workers.”

“In many areas, people have applied for ration cards but have not been able to get them, because of the Central government’s restriction on issuing ration cards. There is confused accountability because of the lack of recognition of full statehood for Delhi which is bad for the working class,” she added.

Schemes for in-situ rehabilitation offer hope, especially after similar programmes have seen success in states like Kerala. However, their implementation in Delhi has not been as effective. Rather, the relocation often has destabilised the residents, highlighting fundamental problems with such policies.

As Delhi heads to the polling booth, the general discontent amongst the city’s working population is a cause for concern. Dr Prasad said: “If the working class is voting with hope, it’s going to vote in large numbers to drive out the Central government. But if it is voting with cynicism, then it will not see a very large turnout.”

Vitasta Kaul and Vedaant Lakhera interned with Frontline during the month of May 2024.