Top politicians use Chhath puja platform for Assembly polls

Politicians from various parties today made a beeline for various ghats, along the Yamuna, celebrating Chhath puja in an effort to win support of the 40 lakh Purvanchali people staying in the city ahead of the December 4 Assembly polls.
While Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Revenue Minister Arvinder Singh, Health Minister AK Walia and DPCC president JP Agarwal visited ghats celebrating Chhath, for BJP it was its Chief Ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan, Delhi chief Vijay Goel and election in-charge Nitin Gadkari who did the rounds.
Dikshit visited Chhath puja celebrations at Sanjay Lake, Laxmibai Nagar, Raja Bazar, Gole Market and ITO Ghat greeting people on the occasion.

"Let Chhath bring happiness, joy and prosperity to all citizens in the city. The festival has become an integral part of the composite culture of Delhi," Dikshit said.
Eyeing support of the Purvanchali voters, BJP has already promised to declare Chhath a public holiday along with a plethora of sops, if voted to power.
It has promised medical benefits under free health insurance schemes and 10 lakh low-cost houses to benefit the poor hailing from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking to reporters, Goel slammed the Congress government for "forcing" Purvanchali people to celebrate Chhath in the "extremely polluted" Yamuna.

"The government's neglect has turned Yamuna into a dirty drain and people are forced to take grave health risk to celebrate Chhath," Goel said.
"The neglect of Yamuna and failure to ensure proper maintenance of the ghats even during Chhath puja reflected how bias the Congress government against the Purvanchali people," he said, furthering accusing the Sheila Dikshit-government of "neglecting" the cultural identity of the Purvanchalis.