Fake GST officials annoy traders; end to parking, traffic woes also on Chandni Chowk’s wishlist

by Saurav Gupta, Kushan Niyogi 

People residing in the Chandni Chowk constituency suffer from traffic congestion, parking problems and crumbling infrastructure on a regular basis while the traders there have to deal with fake GST collecting officials, cases of theft among other problems.

Pollution and crime are rarely discussed in this constituency dominated by traders and Muslims. Ironically, despite being one of Delhi’s 13 pollution hotspots, parties rarely touch these issues in poll promises.

From humble gol-gappa vendors to prominent merchants in Chandni Chowk, everyone believes that national issues hold more significance for voters in general elections.

Shivam Singhal (30), a merchant in Chandni Chowk market said that traders in the market are fed up of fake GST officials who regularly visit the market and dupe shopkeepers.

“Cases of theft are also surging everyday and it is becoming very difficult for us to stock the goods,” he said.

Sanjay Singh, a 60-year-old merchant, explained that his family has consistently supported the same political party since his grandfather’s time.

“We always make a collective decision and vote together,” he said.

Despite their loyalty, he expressed concerns over significant challenges facing the trader community, such as heavy fines, GST complications, and a lack of space.

Shubham Sharma, a 40-year-old employee at a local shop, complained that crime is a significant problem in the Sadar Bazar area, with around 150 phone thefts occurring daily.

Bhola Shankar, 45, said that residents live in cramped conditions, dealing with foul smells from unhygienic public toilets and stray animals roaming the streets.

Residents from diverse areas, from the upscale Model Town to the slums of Shakurbasti, agreed that problems related to pollution, clean water, and sewage affect them equally. They noted that despite various political parties taking turns in power, none have provided any relief from these persistent problems.

The BJP has held the Chandni Chowk seat since 2014. In the current election, they have nominated Praveen Khandelwal to replace the incumbent, Harsh Vardhan. Khandelwal faces Congress veteran JP Aggarwal, who has previously been elected to the seat three times.

In the 2019 election, BJP’s Harsh Vardhan defeated Aggarwal by a margin of over two lakh votes.

Chandni Chowk has a total of 16,45,958 voters, marking a 5.24% increase from 15,61,828 in 2019.

The voter demographics include 8,83,760 males, 7,62,030 females, and 168 third-gender voters. The constituency features 17% traders and 14% Muslim voters.

It encompasses 10 assembly constituencies: Adarsh Nagar, Shalimar Bagh, Shakurbasti, Tri Nagar, Wazirpur, Model Town, Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Matia Mahal, and Ballimaran.