Three-cornered contest on the cards in Ballimaran

Ahead of the February 5 Delhi elections, Ballimaran, once an abode of boatmen and hakims, is buzzing with a sea of people as its narrow alleys gear up to witness a three-cornered fight between the AAP, Congress and the BJP.

Famed lyricist Gulzar’s poetry has immortalised Ballimaran in his famed introduction to the epic Doordarshan series “Mirza Ghalib”, whose haveli still stands here: “Ballimaran ke mohalle ki woh pechida daleelon ki si galiyan (Those narrow alleys of Ballimaaran, much like convoluted arguments).

The alleys are still the same and people still jostle with each other today for space and over conversations. Locals, whose generations have resided in this historic Old Delhi locality, say Ballimaran remains caught in a time warp.

Mohammed Zaheer, a resident of Gali Qasim Jan, says the segment has barely witnessed any development. “Zyada badlav hote huye hamne Ballimaran mein dekha nahi hai (We have not seen any significant changes or development in Ballimaran). Issues like lack of hygiene, unclean surroundings and water scarcity persist as another election looms. Although water pipelines were installed, many households still rely on bore wells to extract water as the supply is inconsistent,” he says when asked what issues were weighing on his mind as a voter.

Evidence of what he says is not hard to find. Overflowing sewers and garbage left around street corners exacerbate the problem, making sanitation a perpetual challenge in the meandering lanes of Ballimaran.

Lack of hygiene and other challenges like living apart, the constituency has a history of political prominence. Veteran Congress leader Haroon Yusuf, first MLA (1993) from this segment, held the seat until 2013. Notably, the BJP has never won this seat which is famous in political circles as the gateway to Delhi cabinet. Barring 1993 and 1998, the Ballimaran MLA has always become a minister.

Yusuf was a member of the Cabinet from 2003 to 2013 in Sheila Dikshit’s government. He served as a Power and Transport Minister and later as Food and Civil Supplies Minister.

Since 2015, AAP’s Imran Hussain has been the MLA from the constituency. He had defeated Congress’ Yusuf by a heavy margin in 2015. In 2020, Hussain again defeated Yusuf by over 40,000 votes, with the BJP surprisingly emerging as the runners-up. Hussain also served as a Cabinet Minister since 2015 as Food and Civil Supplies Minister.

This year, Hussain, Yusuf, and BJP’s Kamal Bagri will vie for the seat.

Some sections in the segment have praises for the AAP government.

Saifuddin, 56, lists improvements made under Hussain’s tenure. “Roads built two years ago remain intact. Dangling wires have been relocated, and waterlogging during monsoons is no longer an issue,” he said. However, he noted that cleanliness was a challenge and only areas near Hussain’s office managed better upkeep. Parking and vehicle movement also remain a pressing concern with local voters.

“The difference between Yusuf and Imran is that the earlier is “aaramparast” (one who is at ease) and the latter is “kaamparast” (work obsessed),” he further remarked.

Education is another area in need of attention, say voters here. A teacher in a nearby school, Anas Faizi, emphasised the lack of new government schools. “While AAP improved the existing school infrastructure, the growing population demands more schools to strengthen the education system,” he said.

He also lamented the decline of Urdu in the area, with many Urdu-language schools shutting down over the years. “The governments are keeping the language alive during cultural shows, but I believe that primary education should be adopted in the child’s mother tongue,” Faizi adds about Ballimaran, which houses the haveli of Ghalib, a hallmark of the segment’s cultural legacy.

Restored in 2010, the haveli beckons but many locals rue the condition of the iconic site. The inner part of the haveli has been encroached upon and has a guest house on the first floor.

Savita, a vegetable vendor in the area remarked, “This place, rich in history, deserves better upkeep. Even foreigners visit, yet it remains neglected. Encroachments have further marred its charm, with the first floor housing a guest house. The least that any government can do is to keep the place clean.”

At a nearby tea stall, 76-year-old SM Hassan says it is the responsibility of the government to maintain historical sites and remove encroachments. “How can the government allow encroachment on one of our greatest poet’s haveli,” he asks, further voicing frustration over illegal bore well water supplies and road encroachments by vendors and shopkeepers.

“The pipelines that have been laid do not reach across every household, therefore people dig boring supply close to their homes. Roadside vendors and shopkeepers have encroached upon the roads, they even block residents’ gates,” Hassan laments, signalling a sense of indifference to politics in general and elections in particular.