New Delhi- The national capital, Delhi, is set to go to the polls on Saturday May 25. As the nation anticipates the polling in 6th phase of election, the attention is focused on a high-profile contest.

In the Northeast Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Congress candidate Kanhaiya Kumar, representing the INDIA alliance, is challenging the incumbent BJP MP, Manoj Tiwari.

Manoj Kumar Tiwari, a prominent figure in Indian politics and a former actor-singer in the Bhojpuri film industry, is a two-time Lok Sabha member representing the North East Delhi constituency.

Initially, Tiwari ventured into politics with the Samajwadi Party and contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election from the Gorakhpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, though unsuccessfully. He later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2013, securing victories in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections from North East Delhi.

Tiwari has maintained an impressive attendance record in Parliament at 84%, surpassing both the state and national averages. His parliamentary contributions are notable, with 385 questions raised, far exceeding the national average, and active participation in debates.

In 2018, Tiwari brought a complaint to the Delhi Lokayukta regarding alleged irregularities in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. This action led to a defamation case filed against him by Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi.

In 2023, Tiwari filed a plea with the Supreme Court seeking to lift the ban on crackers, which was ultimately dismissed. He has also been a vocal advocate for the cleanliness of the Yamuna River, especially in preparation for the Chhath Puja festivals, demonstrating his commitment to environmental issues.

Facing him is Kanhaiya Kumar, a politician affiliated with the Indian National Congress, is also a former student union leader from JNU.

Kumar began his political journey with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Bihar's Begusarai constituency, known as the Leningrad of Bihar.

Despite his defeat, he remained a prominent figure and switched to the Congress party in 2021. Since then, he has been actively involved in campaigning for the party in various state elections.

Born in 1987 in Begusarai, Bihar, Kanhaiya's political activism started during his college years at the College of Commerce in Patna. After completing his undergraduate degree in Geography, he pursued a doctorate in African Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), graduating in 2019.

His tenure as president of the JNU Students' Union in 2016 was marked by controversy when slogans at a campus event led to an FIR against him and other students. He was arrested for alleged seditious activities but later granted bail, with a magisterial inquiry finding no evidence of his involvement in the 'anti-national' sloganeering.

Kumar has emerged as a significant political activist and a leading voice of the Left in India. He has frequently shared platforms with other young leaders like Jignesh Mevani and Hardik Patel. His autobiography, Bihar to Tihar: My Political Journey, published in October 2016, chronicles his life from his childhood in rural Bihar to his political ascent in Delhi.

Throughout his career, Kanhaiya has been a vocal critic of the ruling BJP and the Narendra Modi-led central government. His speech at JNU after his release from jail in 2016 catapulted him into the national spotlight.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he ran against Union Minister Giriraj Singh, funding his campaign through crowdfunding and raising the maximum permissible amount of Rs 70 lakh.

During a road show at Shalimar Bagh this month, Manoj Tiwari said, “Jisne mandir banwaya, jisne G20 me dhoom machaya, jisne mahila ko arakshan dilwaya, uss Modi ko lana hai.”

In his criticism of the Congress candidate from the INDIA bloc, the North East Delhi BJP candidate stated, "In Delhi, it's the tukde-tukde gang against us. Do you want to see Bharat Mata in pieces?"

Referring to the JNU controversy, the MP added, "Their candidate once said that no matter how many Afzals you kill, there will be an Afzal in every house. Brothers and sisters, Afzal was a terrorist, and it doesn't matter if he was Hindu or Muslim; a terrorist must be punished. Our slogan now is 'we'll enter every household to kill a terrorist and eliminate them. We will not allow any womb that bears a terrorist to survive.”

The candidate reiterated all the characteristic points for every BJP candidate, whether it is Ram Mandir or communal sentiments.

Kanhaiya Kumar, on the other hand, is trying to gather the community’s sympathy. He has started a crowdfunding campaign and through a video message, Kumar stated, "We are running this election campaign through crowdfunding because we believe that the people's fight can be supported by the people themselves."

He was also recently attacked. Last week, Kumar was assaulted and inked by individuals who approached him under the guise of garlanding him. The attackers also harassed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) woman councillor Chhaya Gaurav Sharma, prompting her to file a police complaint about the incident near the AAP office in Kartar Nagar.

Following the attack, a video surfaced on social media in which two men claimed responsibility. In the video, the men accused Kanhaiya Kumar of advocating for the division of the country and speaking against the Indian Army, stating that they had "treated him" accordingly.

Kumar alleged that Manoj Tiwari, the sitting MP, is "frustrated with his rising popularity" and orchestrated the attack by sending "goons."

He added that the public would respond to this violence with their votes on May 25.

But What Are the Issues of the People?

In the midst of all the political play, the thing which is seldom seen are the issues faced by the people of the constituency.

The Northeast Delhi constituency harbors a significant migrant populace, particularly comprised of daily wage laborers.

Numerous areas within the constituency suffer from overcrowding and a dearth of fundamental amenities and sanitation facilities.

Additionally, owing to its geographical location in a low-lying region, the constituency faces annual inundation during the monsoon season.

Previously, The Mooknayak covered the ongoing protests by sanitation workers in the region who are demanding an end to contractual employment.

Their demands included addressing widespread corruption among contractors and hospital management, instances of sexual harassment by supervisors, and caste-based discrimination in the workplace.

As reported by the civic media platform 'Citizenmatters,' residents emphasized the importance of their Member of Parliament advocating for marginalized communities in Parliament and striving to improve their substandard living conditions.

They also expressed a desire for their MP to exert pressure on authorities to implement flood mitigation measures.

Northeast delhi is the region which saw the delhi pogrom take place back in the beginning of 2020, a fact that is most likely forgotten by everyone except for the locals.

A report by The Times of India quoted several locals talking about the impact of the violence.

In Jaffrabad, which also bore the brunt of communal violence in 2020, Faliqul Islam conveyed his distress, remarking, "We are being bitten by both humans and mosquitoes here." Islam, a 62-year-old migrant from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has operated a printing press in Jaffrabad for a quarter-century.

Despite his lengthy tenure, he still perceives himself as a second-class citizen. His concerns extend beyond communal tensions to encompass the foul odour of garbage and the persistent mosquito menace.

Zehruddin, employed in the wholesale jacket market, expressed his frustration more candidly. He decried the neglect of their longstanding issues, aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the riots.

Numerous young individuals lost their livelihoods and dwellings and are enduring ongoing hardships in their efforts to rebuild.

Education has also taken a hit in the region. The Directorate of Education (DoE) of the Delhi government has revealed that in the North East district of the national capital, there are 48 schools housed within 24 buildings, serving a total of 132,607 students.

In essence, this means that there is approximately one school for every 2,763 students in the district. This information was disclosed in an affidavit submitted to the Delhi High Court on February 16 as part of a case concerning overcrowded government schools in the North East district, brought forward by the NGO Social Jurist.