Tucked away in the southern part of the city and close to Tugalakabad forts, Sangam Vihar is home to a large number of voters from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The area is considered a poorvanchalis’ stronghold.
Titu contested the seat in the past on the Congress ticket but has switched sides joining the BJP now. He is said to enjoy a close affinity with the BJP strongman Rajnath Singh. Dr SCL Gupta, who contested the last assembly election unsuccessfully, is also reported to be keen on getting this seat.
BJP sources confided to Indian Cooperative given the large population of poorvanchalis the party would prefer a candidate with origins from that area. Gupta also claims to be a poorvanchali but many contest it and say he hails from Banda in Uttar Pradesh.
The confusion about the ancestry of Ranjit is not there as his father and later his younger brother were well-known cooperators from Bihar. Tapeshwar Singh rose to occupy the NCUI Presidency while his brother Ajit Singh chaired Nafed.
Meanwhile, Ranjit has plunged headlong into meeting people of the constituency. His team could be seen distributing blankets to the poor in the area. His Facebook post also depicts him engaged in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swachata abhiyan.
It is believed that people of Bihar and eastern UP sided with AAP in last Assembly elections, partly due to BJP not giving enough seats to people of poorvanchal. This time the idea of roping in as many poorvanchalis as possible is gaining ground in the party. Ranjit has a bright chance in this context, said one of the BJP leaders on condition of anonymity.