Seeking addressing of water and sanitation woes in their areas, over 57 per cent of eligible voters in Ballimaran ward in north Delhi today came out to cast their franchise in the municipal bypolls held today.
Ballimaran sits in an eponymous Assembly constituency and for this by-election had 28,448 registered voters, out of which 57.63 per cent or 16,396 voted.
"We do not get enough water here. One and half hours of water supply in the morning is all we get the entire day," said 60-year-old Ziauddin, a resident of Kasimjan area.
"Apart from the water shortage, we have also been facing lack of cleanliness and awful drainage system since quite a few years now. AAP (area MLA Imran Hussain) has not done enough to address the issue," said Krishan Solanki, 40, who works in a private company.
Interestingly, among the voters who queued up to the polling stations, some had "little to no hope of change" but still cast their votes as it was their "duty in a democracy".
"We want a better living standard for ourselves and our children. We want good education for them. However, over the years nothing has changed and I don't expect any change even after this election. I and my family cast our votes because it's our duty to do so in a democracy," said a 32-year old woman who did not wish to be named.
The ward had an "ultra-sensitive" polling station. It is represented in Delhi Assembly by AAP minister Hussain who heads the Food, Supplies and Environment ministry.
Traditionally a Congress bastion, Hussain's brother-in-law Mohammad Sadiq is the AAP candidate from Ballimaran' and during his campaign, he had promised to continue "the good work done by his predecessor".
Apart from Sadiq, Congress' candidate Obaid Khan and BJP's Nitin Tiwari are also in the fray from here.
Ballimaran, a densely populated area near Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi carries a distinct identity for the house of Mirza Ghalib in Gali Qasim Jan.
