Guwahati: As the nation readies to elect the 18th Lok Sabha, voters in Assam’s most prestigious constituency, Guwahati, have one question. Will the elected representative work for the welfare of the people? Ordinary citizens expect the new MP to address their problems of proper drainage infrastructure, road maintenance, urban planning, access to clean water and traffic congestion.
Former Guwahati East MLA Ajoy Kumar Dutta, who has been honoured with Padmashree for social work, said, “There was a time when the elected candidates felt that they had a responsibility to fight for the people and were quite deserving enough. But now, candidates only think about the responsibility given to them by the party and seldom bother to find out the problems that the common people face.” Dutta added, “It would be really helpful for the citizens if they take the time to personally spend time talking to us and finding out what are our needs.”
Anushik Goswami, a student who will vote for this first time, said, “The main objective of the candidate should be the overall development of the city.” He added that poor drainage and traffic congestion are some of the main issues in the city. Geeta Bhagawati (47), a seasoned voter and a resident of Paltanbazar, said an MP should be fully aware of the issues plaguing his or her constituency and remain connected with the people. “There are a lot of civic issues and the MP should take note of them from time to time,” she added.
