By Saiyed Danish, TwoCircles.net,
The assembly seat of Ballimaran is something to watch out for. Three potential Muslim candidates will be locking horns for the crown of the constituency- Haroon Yusuf from Congress, Imran Hussain from BSP and Farhana Anjum from AAP. Among the main generals of the battle forces is also BJP’s wounded warrior Motital Sodhi who had earlier contested the 2008 assembly election from Ramnagar constituency which got dissolved in delimitation this time.
Congress only Muslim Minister is seeking fifth term from Ballimaran, but the battle this time is not going to be easy as the delimitation has considerably changed the demographics of the constituency. Ballimaran earlier comprised of 63% Muslim voters, with the addition of 37% of Ramnagar, however, now, the combined the voting strength of Muslims is 38%, while the scheduled castes comprise of 22%.
This has made the fight interesting for candidates in opposition but quite precarious for the incumbent MLA and local stalwart Haroon Yusuf who has been ruling the constituency since 1993.
While Ramnagar and Qasabpura are Sodhi’s fiefdoms, old Ballimaran is Councillor Imran Hussain’s turf. Farhana Anjum who contested the 2012 MCD election on RLD ticket from Idgah Road but lost by only a narrow margin of 500 votes is also running an intense door-to-door campaign for quite a few weeks. Idgah road area supports Congress party.
Haroon Yusuf’s poll strategy is every Muslim candidate’s poll strategy this assembly elections – Vote for Congress to save the country from Modi. Whereever he goes theatrics follow him with people showers flower petals from their balconies on him. He seldom counts development in his speech he leaves no stone unturned in attacking right-wing politics in the country.
“You have seen how Narendra Modi facilitated the two murderers Rana and Som as the heroes of Muzaffarnagar riots. Even in his own state he has sold land to Adanis illegally and displaced thousands of poor from their lands in the process,” he said at a gathering near Madarsa Mir Jumla area.
Congress’ Haroon Yusuf campaigning at his constituency in Ballimaran.
Questioning BJP’s ability to defeat him he said, “Ballimaran was the only constituency which forced the BJP to lose even its security deposits in the election of 2003. Their candidate had only received 4100 votes where as I got 42,000.”
He took targeted BJP’s claim of inflation in Delhi. “When BJP ruled in Delhi from 1993 to 1998, inflation was 8%. Why are they not telling you now that Delhi government has brought down the price of onion to Rs.45/kg.?” he asked the people. “Everybody knows that prices rise because of change in seasons and the time taken for the new harvest to reach all over,” he highlighted.
He also attacked Modi’s nationwide campaign calling his Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka campaigns a total failure as BJP lost in all those states. “Modi’s magic is plain hype as he could not ensure victories to his party through his charisma,” he said as he addressed a crowd of youths there.
Quite smartly he steers away from talking on development issues which the people in his constituency want more than his histrionics. However, anti-incumbency seems to have taken hold against him. “I will not vote for Haroon Yusuf this time as he has scored very low when it comes to lending an ear to our grievances,” says Wamiq, a local shopkeeper.
BSP’s Imran Hussain is emerging as a clear challenge to Yusuf’s reputation. A mention of Imran and the supporters of Yusuf admit reluctantly that the former is in the race. “Imran Hussain is only a councillor so he might be popular in Ballimaran area but he has not reached out to the rest of the constituency. But yes, we feel that the fight is triangular this time,” says Shahid Ali a Congress sympathizer. Even Yusuf mentions Imran’s name more than even Modi and his public appeals like “do not let your vote get divided” indicates towards his newfound fears for Imran.
The BSP office in Ballimaran claims that Imran has raised voice for better schools, hospitals in his rallies where close to 1500 people attend on regular basis. “People of all classes are with him. Not only in Ballimaran he got some work done in Old Delhi also by using his influence,” says his poll manager Mohd. Riyaaz.
AAP candidate from Ballimaran Farhana Anjum.
On the other hand Farhana Anjum was all confident at her Farash Khana residence about her victory. “The main issue is education. There is perennial vacancy of teachers in Zeenat Mahal, liquor is sold in front of Anglo-Arabic school. Other schools like Qaumi School, Shafi Memorial School, Mazharul islam are destroyed or encroached. We will rebuild all these schools,” she said.
“Water is so scarce here that in many mosques it is not available for abulation. A few weeks ago somebody died in Sarai Khaleel area and there was no water available for even the last rites,” she told TCN.
When asked why she switched from RJD to AAP, she said that her idea of social service synced with the agenda of the party so she joined it. Farhana Anjum runs an NGO named Pehchan and she also protested against government’s restrictions on people wanting to go to Hajj fro second time in the past.
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