Delhi Election: Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) temple cell chief, accused of making inflammatory statements, Karnail Singh secured an astounding victory with 56,869 votes from Shakur Basti by defeating Aam Aadmi Party’s former cabinet minister Satyender Jain and Congress’ Satish Luthra.
The BJP leader was able to whisk the seat away with a margin of 20,998 votes. On the other hand, Jain secured 35,871 votes, while Luthra won 5,784.
Singh took to X (formerly Twitter) to state that his term in office would give the constituency its “real identity.”
“Today is a day of excitement. Today, the power of the people has defeated the corrupt. This is not just my victory. This is the victory of every person of Shakur Basti who was fighting against this arrogant, corrupt, and AAP-Da government. The people have accepted me as their servant today, and I assure you all that I will always try to solve your problems…We will give the real identity to the whole of Delhi, including Shakur Basti,” he wrote.
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In the run-up to the elections, Jain had filed a defamation complaint against Singh, alleging that the latter had said on television that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recovered 37 kg of gold from the former’s residence and owned 1,100 acres of land.
Shakur Basti is a constituency that reflects a mix of posh neighbourhoods and unauthorised colonies. For three consecutive terms, it has elected AAP’s Jain, who also served as a cabinet minister in the Delhi government. Despite being a high-profile seat, the area continues to struggle with issues such as congestion, unrepaired and dug-up roads, and roadside garbage dumping.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), there are 1,56,352 voters in the Shakur Basti constituency. Of these, 79,753 voters are male, 76,594 female, while five belonged to the third gender.
While some residents blame the BJP for Jain’s arrest, which they believe disrupted development work, others hold both BJP and AAP accountable, criticising them for political infighting instead of addressing the real problems on the ground.
“Earlier, the problem was the absence of a sewer line. Now, the lanes are dug up and left unrepaired, with sewer work still incomplete in many areas. A significant portion of the work was completed within months under Satyendar Jain’s supervision, but his arrest brought everything to a halt. Had he not been arrested, the work would have been finished by now. By jailing the MLA, the BJP has disrupted development in the area,” said Balbir Mohan from Saraswati Vihar.
For a shop owner near Sir Chotu Ram Chowk in Saraswati Vihar, the ongoing political tussle between AAP and BJP has done little to help the residents—while voters continue to bear the brunt of the inaction.
“I have seen no benefit from the constant clashes between the two parties. Neither seems concerned about the real issues on the ground. Roads remain waterlogged even without rainfall, affecting businesses. Why would customers come to our shops when drain water is flowing on the roads? Who will compensate us for our losses?” said Virender Arora, a shop owner.
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A short walk along Mahatma Hansraj Marg reveals garbage piling up by the roadside, attracting stray cows and dogs. Similarly, the Ramlila Ground in Pitampura serves as a dumping ground for most of the year, only being cleaned occasionally.
For Digambar Sachdeva, a Pitampura resident, stray animals have become a serious hazard, sometimes leading to accidents. “Last month, my son was injured while riding his bicycle home. Two cows were fighting on the road, and he got hurt when one of them knocked into him. This has become an everyday problem,” he said.
He further highlighted that traffic congestion is also a major cause for concern in the constituency. “Crossing the road during peak office hours is a nightmare. At times, it takes more than 40 minutes to cover just one kilometre. A complete lane has been taken over, and yet there is no action to address this,” he said.
