And even as Maken, the sitting Congress MP, and Goel trade accusations over the New Delhi seat, the constituency itself has undergone a sea change. Boundaries have been redrawn and areas like Greater Kailash, CR Park, Malviya Nagar, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar and Moti Nagar have been added to what was once the cosy home of the babus, formed first for the 1962 elections.

While residents of government colonies like Lodhi Road, Netaji Nagar and Sarojini Nagar are feeling the heat of pricerise despite the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, residents of colonies like Greater Kailash and CR Park are expecting a solution to their parking woes, “the BRT mess” and the shortage of water.

Maken himself acknowledges that his constituency has an electorate that comprises “posh” colonies, urban villages, government colonies and slum and JJ clusters, which is why he has come up with separate agendas for each group.

Maken has been touring the newer parts of his constituency with vigour and has received complaints about local issues from the newer areas in South Delhi. “I have been receiving complaints about local civic problems, and all I can say right now is that these areas earlier had a BJP MP and now a BJP MLA in the form of Vijay Kumar Malhotra. I can only ask them to vote for me and then help them resolve their problems,” Maken says.

There are over 30 urbanised villages in the New Delhi constituency and Maken has promised a new set of building by-laws for these colonies. His first election rally, incidentally, was in Shahpur Jat, an urbanised village.

“The Masterplan has been implemented through the efforts of my ministry and has benefited several traders and guesthouse owners in areas like Paharganj, Karol Bagh, Rajouri Garden and Moti Nagar,” he says.

Maken says his efforts have offered relief to residents of “special areas” like Karol Bagh and Patel Nagar, which were facing the demolition heat about two years ago.

For residents of government housing colonies, Maken says that apart from the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission during his tenure, he is also working on providing housing facilities for retired government officials.

Meanwhile, Goel, who had contested the elections from the Sadar seat last time, feels the Sixth Pay Commission has been a failure. “Workers in the B, C, and D groups have not benefited from the Pay Commission while prices are sky-rocketing,” he says.