Industries' issue dominates by-elections

NEW DELHI: Even as the heat intensifies close to the bypoll day, many believe industries issue is going to be critical in the two assembly constituencies Rajouri Garden and Baljeet Nagar.
"We will approach the SC on the issue of industries relocation... the government will not allow the industries to be removed," claimed DPCC vice-president Narendra Nath.According to SC guidelines, around one lakh industries will have to be relocated in a time bound manner.
Delhi BJP chief Harshvardhan feels that his party can give a fight to the Congress. "During the past nine months, the Congress government has brought nothing but misery to people starting from the high property tax, proposed increase in water tariff and bus fares... It has misled the people over industries as well," he said. Congress workers, however, seem unpertubed by these noises.
Both seats have been Congress strongholds since 1993. In Rajouri Garden, Ajay Maken won the seat thrice in 1993, 1998 and 2003. Congress candidate Ramesh Lamba, who is being backed by Maken, feels that the electorate is educated and will understand that only the Congress can deliver promises.
Similarly, in Baljit Nagar, Krishna Tirath went strong in all the three elections, twice defeating BJP’s K C Ravi in 1993 and 1998, and Yogender Chandolia in 2003. While the Congress candidate Rajesh Lilothia is campaigning on the "development carried out by the Sheila Dikshit government", his opponent Raj Mehra is playing on the outsider issue.
"I belong to the area and know about its problems; the Congress candidate has been brought from outside," Mehra said. Lilothia seems to have an edge when it comes to railway employee votes. He is the patron of the All India SC/ST Railway employee Association and active in the Railway Colony which is said to house 17,000 voters.
According to rough estimates, Rajouri Garden has a 45% population of dalits.
Congress veterans say that the character of Baljit Nagar as a constituency has undergone a change during the past few years. "A large chunk of the population are purvanchalis which are backing Congress," said DPCC chairman (purvanchali cell) Goswami S K Puri.
All said, the key to success will now lie in getting people out of their homes to vote on that critical day.