CAIT TO LAUNCH ELECTION WHISPER CAMPAIGN IN DELHI

CAIT TO LAUNCH ELECTION WHISPER CAMPAIGN IN DELHI

TRADERS ARE NOW A VOTE BANK-WILL PLAY DECISIVE ROLE

 

Vijyender Sharma

SHIMLA-----On an initiative of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT),  the Delhi traders since last more than three months have been engaged in a city wide drive for consolidating the traders across city to play a decisive role in Loksabha elections this time. The drive has received spontaneous and encouraging response from the trading community and the traders are nowhere emerged as a strong vote bank. The drive is still continued to engage more and more traders  of Delhi  

 

There are about 19 lakh traders across Delhi providing employment to nearly 30 lakh people and as such all the seven Parliamentary seats in Delhi have great influence of the traders. Beside traders, the CAIT activists are also contacting employees of the traders and other sections of the people like transporters, courier service etc. to go along with traders for the purpose of elections. The CAIT is shortly launching a " Whisper Campaign" in Delhi under which the traders with whom they purchase material and to their consumers will narrate the good scoring points of the political party whom the traders will support, the declaration of which will be made by CAIT Central leadership very soon. It will make a positive atmosphere in the city in favour of such party.

 

In all seven Parliament seats of Delhi, the Chandni Chowk seat is primarily considered to be a seat of traders as all wholesale markets and prominent retail markets are part of this constituency. About 5 lakh traders are voters on this seat out of about 19 lakh electorates and the 5 lakh traders have their families and that of families of their employees and other connected people as well. Most of the traders doing business in Chandni Chowk seat are predominantly also the residents of this seat. Therefore if this chunk vote collectively as a vote bank in the forthcoming elections, the result is bound to be influenced to a greater extent. Commercial markets like Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Kashmiri Gate, Chawri Bazar, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, Shradhanand Marg, Darya Ganj, Ajmeri Gate, Jama Masjid are part of this constituency on the other hand areas like Kamla Nagar, Ashok Vihar, Shakti Nagar, Model Town, Shalimar Bagh, Pitampura, Tri Nagar, Gujranwala Town etc. are inhabited largely by the trading community.

 

Likewise, on New Delhi seat out of about 17 lakh voters, the traders constitute about 2 lakh voters, on South Delhi seat out of about 19 lakh voters nearly 2 lakh voters, on North East Delhi seat out of about 22 lakh voters about 3 lakh voters are traders, on East Delhi seat out of about 21 lakh voters about 2.5 lakh voters are traders whereas on West Delhi seat out of about 22 lakh voters the traders constitute 2.75 lakh voters, on North West Delhi seat out of 23 lakh voters about 3 lakh are trader voters. It shows that traders have considerable influence on all seats of Delhi and if they are converted into a vote bank and cast vote collectively they can influence the results to a greater extent.

 

CAIT Secretary General Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said that this time the Delhi traders are committed to establish their importance in the forthcoming elections. Therefore, the CAIT since more than last three months is working hard on all seven seats of Delhi making the traders aware about the value of their vote and holding meetings.So far CAIT has organised about more than 200 meetings in commercial markets all over Delhi which will be greatly intensified in coming days. It will be for the first time that traders leaving their political affiliations will vote as a trader in Delhi. This drive will remain continue till the elections are held in Delhi.

 

CAIT Delhi State President Mr.Vipin Ahuja said that Delhi traders are fraught with various problems including continuous sealing of shops, problems arising out of Rent Act, rampant corruption in Municipal Corporation of Delhi and facing great harassment by MCD officials on account of obtain licenses and other compliances, deteriorating conditions of commercial markets with no proper infrastructure, parking problem, prohibition of loading and unloading of goods in day time, pollution issues, no proper security of markets. On the other hand the issues like e commerce and FDI in Retail has wrack the bone of small traders in Delhi. No Government or political party is consulting the traders on such issues. It is only at the time of elections when political parties remember the traders .There is no participation of traders in political spectrum.