Delhi Election: Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Mohan Singh Bisht secured an astounding victory from the Mustafabad constituency with 85,215 votes.
Marking his MLA candidature with a win for the BJP, the incumbent MLA from Karawal Nagar was able to clinch victory with a margin of 17,578 votes.
Bisht was pitted against Congress’ Ali Mehdi, the son of popular ex-MLA Hasan Ahmad, who held the seat from 2008 to 2016, ex-AAP leader Tahir Hussain, who is an undertrial for his alleged role in the 2020 riots for the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, and AAP’s journalist-turned-politician Adil Ahmad Khan.
AAP’s Khan secured 67,637 votes, while Hussain received 33,474 votes.
Bisht, while addressing the media, blamed AAP’s poor governance for its defeat. “Arvind Kejriwal did not do anything in Delhi in the last 10 years. He did not provide water to the people and instead opened liquor shops. He never worked for the development of the national capital,” he said.
With 2,62,642 registered voters, Mustafabad has seen a dynamic political landscape. The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Haji Yunus secured victory in the 2020 elections, while the BJP’s Jagdish Pradhan won in 2015. Before them, Congress leader Hasan Ahmad held the seat for two consecutive terms.
The Mustafabad constituency was established in 2008 and has a significant Muslim population, estimated at around 40% by locals and political parties. The area is home to a mix of low-income and middle-class families, primarily engaged in factory work, small businesses, and labour jobs.
While out on parole, Hussain had targeted his former party for “throwing” him out. “I worked for the party with loyalty and honesty. But when I became a victim of conspiracy, I was thrown out without knowing the truth. When Manish Sisodia went to jail, why was he not thrown out? Why was Satyendar Jain not thrown out?” he said during a campaign.
In 2020, the constituency witnessed communal riots that resulted in 53 deaths and left hundreds injured. While the memories of the violence remain significant, according to residents, they were not a primary factor influencing the election. Instead, residents were focused on pressing issues such as infrastructure, sanitation, crime control, and economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic.
Unlike most constituencies where the battle is mostly between the three major parties—BJP, Congress, and AAP—in Mustafabad, the electoral battlefield was four-pronged, with the AIMIM marking their debut from here, with former AAP leader Tahir Hussain fighting from here for the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party.
Voters had highlighted that elections would be hard-fought, although their focal point revolved around infrastructural development. Residents of Mustafabad expressed disappointment with the incumbent MLA, citing a lack of development work, though many still have faith in his party.
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Main issues
Ravinder Gupta, a 36-year-old resident from Shiv Vihar, emphasised the residents’ concerns about crime, deteriorating roads, and poor drainage. “This area is densely populated, with thousands of people living on a single street and owning vehicles. The roads are weak and keep caving in. Some haven’t been repaired for years. The opening of liquor shops has also become a nuisance, compromising women’s safety. These issues must be addressed,” he said.
Safina Bano, 45, and a resident of Mustafabad, highlighted the lack of employment opportunities in the area. “We have yet to recover from the pandemic and the riots. My son used to work in factories, but many shut down, forcing them into odd jobs. They haven’t found steady work. While peace prevails, there remains an underlying restlessness among communities,” she said.
