Almost a fifth of Delhi voter population, Punjabis have inflation, jobs and national security on mind
New Delhi: The Punjabi community, including Sikhs, constitutes roughly 19% of the city’s voters. Over the decades, its influence has been somewhat eclipsed by other social and religious communities, like the Poorvanchalis, scheduled castes and Muslims. Yet, this largely affluent group continues to yield enough clout in elections.
TOI visited several localities with a preponderance of Punjabis to find out what they expected and how they lean towards on May 25. In Punjabi Bagh, Karol Bagh, Tilak Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Lajpat Nagar and Krishna Nagar, the key concerns of the voters centred on inflation, jobs, economy, national security and the religious divide. But their sentiments were also influenced by developments like the farmers’ protests and the arrest of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Community members are already discussing the factors. “Giving a religious or communal angle to everything is exasperating. There are several issues like inflation and unemployment which need the attention of the next govt,” said Akash Deep Singh, who runs a shop near the gurdwara in Tilak Nagar.
At Tilak Vihar, where the victims of the 1984 riots were rehabilitated, many voters appeared disaffected. Mahender Singh, whose grandfather lost his life during the riots, pointed at a tea stall. “See how our youths have been relegated to selling tea. Even a BTech degree holds no value today. We will vote on the issue of employment,” he said.
In Rajouri Garden, Baljeet Kaur echoed the same thought. “Unemployment is a huge concern, but we will also have to vote for a govt that will focus on national security. We cannot compromise on that,” she said. Jaswinder Singh, a shopkeeper at Karol Bagh, too said keeping the borders safe mattered to him. “The country’s reputation and security are possible only with strong leadership,” the shopkeeper said.
Furniture seller Ajit Singh in Nizamuddin had a different perspective. “I sense a loss of freedom in India,” he said. “People are afraid to speak up. I want a govt that is free and fair to all sections of society.”
Experts, however, believe that preferences can change. According to Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, while there are standalone concerns for the community, they often change by voting day. “Going by history, when it comes to Lok Sabha polls, the Punjabi community votes en masse for BJP. This time too, I do not see reasons for them to move in another direction,” said Kumar. “They may have personal concerns, but people often tend to vote for a stable government. And candidates don’t matter, it’s a bigger election.”
Kumar noted that the influence of the Punjabi community has waned over time. “Three to four decades ago, Punjabis, as a community, were the centre of attention. Now it’s the Poorvanchalis. The demographics have changed,” he said. When asked whether Kejriwal’s arrest would affect the community’s voting, Kumar opined, “I don’t see it making any change. Sympathy among voters isn’t high.”
Professor Chandrachud Singh of Hindu College too believes that a bigger factor than Kejriwal’s arrest for the Punjabis is the farm protests. “The older voters, many of whom came from Pakistan and now are in their late 70s, are softer towards RSS and BJP. But the younger voters are looking at issues like inflation, employment. There is huge dissent against certain policies as well as disenchantment with the MPs. But this election will finally boil down to Modi, so the dissent may ultimately become subdued. The point is, if not Modi, then who?” said Singh.
Singh added that there could be a degree of solidarity on questions like the farmers’ protests and their being labelled Khalistanis,etc, but wasn’t certain it would be strong enough to prevent a vote against BJP. “A lot would depend on how AAP plays its cards. It was after AAP announced its candidates that Kejriwal was arrested and it remains to be seen how this will affect the vote, though the sympathy may not be too strong,” said Singh.