Veteran’s work vs son-in-law’s youth

What Suresh Kumar does acknowledge is that his relationship with Mukhi has made his campaign easier. “You see, I knew many workers in the BJP. I was closely associated with them at both political and personal levels, because of Mukhiji,” he says. “When they heard I was contesting, more than 25 per cent of these BJP workers have shifted to the Congress and are working with me.”

While each refrains from making any personal remarks against the other, Kumar makes it clear he will eventually challenge Mukhi, on issues such as youth and development. He pitches himself as someone who is “a blend of youth, rigour and professionalism”, against incumbency.

“Janakpuri has lacked young leadership for decades,” he says. “The BJP has not nurtured any young leaders. Only the Congress has given young people an opportunity.”

Mukhi, for his part, markets youth-oriented changes in the constituency. “Over 75,000 students visit Janakpuri every day for college. We have developed this area as a centre for education,” he says. “Since the inauguration of Dilli Haat, more and more youth are flocking here. You will see this is as a centre for cultural activities too.”

A drain parallel to Pankha Road divides the upscale Janakpuri colony on one side from Sitapuri and Milap Nagar areas on the other. Mukhi has separate campaign strategies for the developed area, the regularised colonies, and the unauthorised ones.

“The major task I have done is laying sewers in all the unauthorised colonies. Now I will provide roads here, something I have done to regularised colonies. For regularised colonies, I will provide luxuries, as given to the developed areas,” Mukhi says.

The son-in-law, meanwhile, projects himself as pro-poor, mocks the “designer gates” created by Mukhi in the upscale area, and says, “Did the BJP think about the condition of the poor in the jhuggis, who have no sewer, no water? Janakpuri’s development has been cosmetic.”