Laxmi Nagar Elections: New Faces Keep Winning

New Delhi: The Laxmi Nagar Assembly seat in East Delhi has been a seat for fresh faces ever since its creation post-delimitation in 2008. The seat has seen new candidates take charge in every election. Dr. Ashok Kumar Walia, who won on a Congress ticket, became a minister in Sheila Dikshit’s government.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has claimed victory twice from this seat, but has changed its candidates each time. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have also secured wins here. Laxmi Nagar, along with areas like Shakarpur, Pandav Nagar, and Mandawali, is known for its large markets, while other areas consist of developed unauthorized colonies. Before the delimitation, this seat was known as the Mandawali constituency, but after the delimitation, the seat was renamed and several parts, including Mandawali, were removed.

Before delimitation, Congress held this seat twice. In the first Assembly elections after its formation in 1993, BJP’s M.S. Panwar secured a win. Congress’s Meera Bhardwaj won in 1998 and 2003 elections, both of whom were representatives from the Mandawali constituency.

Local Issues: Residents of Laxmi Nagar, Shakarpur, and nearby areas face several problems. Encroachment is an issue, with shops illegally occupying spaces in front, causing trouble for pedestrians and increasing traffic jams. Sewer blockages are another problem, especially near Madhuban Road, where water often floods the streets, especially during the monsoon season. There have been attempts to solve parking problems on Vikas Marg, but illegal parking continues to cause congestion.