In an effort to woo Purvanchali voters, the Delhi unit of Congress has pledged to restore Chhat ghats on the banks of the Yamuna and provide them with other facilities to hold their festival without hindrance.
Anil Chaudhary, head of the Delhi unit of the congress, alleged that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal “betrayed” the Purvanchalis living in the national capital with false promises and prevented them from holding their most auspicious festival.
He claimed that the Congress government in Delhi under Sheila Dikshit set up the Chhat ghats for Purvanchalis and also established Mythili and Bhojpuri academies.
“Kejriwal’s government has failed to contain rising air and water pollution for the past eight years, despite selling the rosy dream of making Delhi like London, Paris and Singapore.
The Yamuna water is toxic and highly polluted and is causing serious health problems for Delhiites, especially children and the elderly,” he said.
The BJP, AAP and Congress are all doing their best to woo Purvanchalis, who make up one of the largest voting banks in Delhi, as the campaign for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls intensifies.
According to one estimate, Purvanchalis – the Bhojpuri-speaking natives of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand who settled in Delhi – make up about a third of the national capital’s total 1.46 crore voters.
The BJP and AAP each fielded about 50 candidates from Purvanchali background. The community is estimated to have a significant presence in all Assembly segments of Delhi.
Elections for the 250-ward MCD are scheduled for December 4.
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