South Delhi is posh? Not so says a survey

With 70 per cent of the constituency dominated by slum-dwellers, the locality seems to be losing its elite tag

South Delhi is posh? Not so says a survey

With 70 per cent of the constituency dominated by slum-dwellers, the locality seems to be losing its elite tag

If owning a property in posh South Delhi is your dream, take a reality check. The tony locality seems to be is losing its spice.

Once considered the bastion of the well-heeled and moneyed Delhiite, the elite constituency is today dominated by slum-dwellers, who make up almost 70 per cent of the area's population. The Parliamentary constituency has a major chunk of re-settlement colonies and its social fabric is dominated by people who have migrated from other states. Only 30 per cent of the original South Delhiites remain. These shocking facts have been revealed by a survey conducted before the Lok Sabha polls by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The problem, however, seems to be more political.

"South Delhi consists of nine Assembly seats of Outer Delhi and only one from the original constituency. Hence, a major part comprises unauthorised colonies and slums and the locality is dominated by people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan," said the survey.

"The constituency is dominated by Poorvanchalis (those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar), almost 32 per cent. This is followed by people from Haryana (20%) and Rajasthan (11%)," the survey added.

This demographic shift is best reflected in the constituency's changing political profile. South Delhi has a major chunk of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supporters, the highest after East and Northeast Delhi, which are supposed to be strongholds of people from UP and Bihar. "The BSP received only three per cent votes in the 2004 Lok Sabha election. But the figure grew to 15 per cent in the Municipal Corporation election held in 2007 and to an astonishing 23 per cent in the 2008 Assembly polls," the survey highlighted.

The constituency has a mix of various castes and religions as well. While 22 per cent of its voters are from the general category, 20 per cent are 'Baniyas', nine per cent are Gujjars, five per cent are Jats, 23 per cent are Scheduled Castes, 11 per cent are from Other Backward Castes and 10 per cent Muslims.