Autorickshaw drivers, the AAP’s loyal vote bank since 2013, will continue to back the party as long as its populist schemes continue, several of them have said.
“We began supporting the AAP because they were the first to effectively take up the harassment we faced from the transport department. We have many unions, but none of them could do anything to rein in corrupt officials until the AAP came to power,” said Surendra Rai, a voter in Old Delhi’s Ballimaran constituency who has been driving an auto for around two decades.
He said the main issue in 2013 or 2015 was the challans the drivers used to get for not adhering to metered rates. “Today, with booking apps, even if we offer to go on metered rates, customers prefer to use the apps,” Rai said.
He said he would vote for the AAP in the upcoming elections because the party had curbed the harassment they used to face. “Also, why not vote for good schools and clinics? All parties promise the moon but as long as a government is working fairly well why would we want change?” he argued.
Auto drivers, who had campaigned aggressively for the AAP in 2013 and 2015, are also being wooed by the BJP and the Congress. The parties feel that they can influence voters as they interact with a lot of people daily. There are close to 1 lakh auto drivers and more than 1.5 lakh taxi drivers in Delhi.
Rai said he had not stuck an AAP sticker on his auto this time as he felt that the cops stopped such autos more frequently for checking.
Rajender, an auto driver from west Delhi’s Palam constituency, said he was yet to make up his mind on who to vote.
“There is no guarantee that any party will provide the ‘guarantees’ they have promised. Where will the money come from? Auto drivers as a group do not support the AAP any more. Look at the poor state of the roads we drive on,” he said while negotiating a pothole.
“Auto drivers’ needs are the same as everyone else’s — clean water, fresh air. Every other day, we get dirty water in our taps. My father’s pension (the Delhi government monthly assistance of ₹2,500 for senior citizens) has not come for six months. The MLA (AAP’s Bhavna Gaur, who has been replaced with Joginder Solanki this time) says that funds aren’t available,” Rajender said.
However, he said the AAP was still ahead of other parties because of its welfare schemes. “Inflation is high and people need a government who at least keeps water and electricity rates low,” he said.
Taxi driver Sarwar Husain from south Delhi’s Greater Kailash seat flagged the safety issue. “It’s good that the BJP has also thought of us but we are citizens first. For anyone to do their job, they first need to feel safe. After the riots in 2020, I don’t think the BJP can keep Delhi safe,” he said.
Fifty-three people had lost their lives in communal violence in north-east Delhi in 2020. Civil society members and several victims had accused the BJP of instigating the riots while the BJP and police had pinned the blame on activists protesting the new citizenship regime. The police in the capital are controlled by the Centre.
“Our MLA (AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj) is efficient, but he faces a tough fight from BJP municipal councillor Shikha Rai. She is popular in the apartments and bungalows, but for us who live in the (urban) villages or slums, Saurabhji is the only person we turn to when we want to get work done,” Husain said.
“There is no guarantee that we will vote for people who pay us but some people are influenced. BJP workers have been coming to every house in our area every day to campaign. We haven’t seen most of them before. The AAP workers are all local people, so we know them,” said auto driver Vijender from the Munirka constituency.
“I don’t vote as an auto driver. I vote as a citizen. If schools and hospitals remain good, we don’t mind if the ruling party makes some money on the side. We auto drivers are with the AAP because we drive around the city and have seen it change for the better during their rule,” Vijender added.
- Delhi votes on February 5
