TRADERS STAKE CLAIM ON CHANDNI CHOWK LOKSABHA SEAT BUSINESS COMMUNITY URGE BJP TO MAKE PRAVEEN KHANDELWAL BJP NOMINEE

The business community of Delhi and rest of the Country while terming Chandni Chowk Parliamentary Constituency as ” traders constituency’ has staked claim on this seat and has urged BJP leadership to make Mr. Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) as BJP Candidate from this constituency. The decision was taken at a meeting of trade leaders of Delhi held today which was attended by more than 250 Trade Associations from all parts of Delhi.

On the other hand at two days National Governing Council Meet of CAIT held on 3-4 April at Pondicherry, more than 200 prominent trade leaders from 26 States adopted a unanimous resolution urging Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi & BJP President Amit Shah to nominate Mr. Khandelwal as a BJP Candidate from Chandni Chowk as representative of 7 crore traders of the Country. CAIT National President Mr. B.C.Bhartia said that on behalf of crores of traders we are demanding only one seat from BJP so that traders issues can be raised effectively in the Parliament. We have every hope that keeping into consideration the yeomen services rendered by trading community in nation development and economy, the BJP leadership will certainly accord our request. He further said that at a time when BJP is known as a Traders Party, our demand stands justified. On the other hand when other sections and castes are getting representation why not the trading community is given its due representation. Mr. Bhartia said that if Mr. Khandelwal is nominated as a BJP Candidate, the BJP will get enormous and all out support from trading community across the Country.

Mr. Vipin Ahuja, Delhi State President and Mr. Ramesh Khanna, National Secretary of CAIT said that since a long time, the traders are fraught with numerous problems from all corners and it has become difficult to conduct smooth business activities. There are about 19 lakh traders in Delhi who gives employment to nearly 30 lakh people. There are more than 3000 Trade Associations in Delhi engaged in monitoring trading activities and problems of the traders. Burning issues like Sealing, GST, Rent Act, FDI in Retail, E Commerce, rampant corruption in MCD, no attention of Delhi Government towards traders are harassing the trading community and no one is listening the woes of traders. In Mr. Khandelwal, the traders will find a true representative who has fought trade issues of Delhi and the Country very ably and no one other can be a better candidate than him. They also said that the nomination of Mr. Khandelwal as BJP Candidate will ensure support of business community on other seats of Delhi as well.

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 4 lakh traders are voters on this seat out of about 16 lakh electorates and the 4 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 votes 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, Bhagirath Place, 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,Gujranwala Town, Shalimar Bagh, Pitampura are inhabited largely by the trading community.