Civic poll campaigning has provided the ideal platform to citizens to voice their demands and complaints to the candidates, who come to their doorsteps asking for votes.

Bad roads, absence of streetlights, shortage of potable water and lack of a proper garbage disposal system are high on the list of the citizens’ demands. The residents claim that they feel neglected and disillusioned as despite voting for the candidates in every civic poll, they do not get even the basic amenities.

“The civic poll candidates know very well what the city needs. The basic responsibility of the councillors is to keep the city clean and beautiful. But if you go to any of the wards, you will find overflowing drains, potholes on roads, garbage heaps, dilapidated footpaths and roads encroached by squatters,” said Manju Singh, a homemaker in ward number 17.

Candidates and councillors seeking re-election are not unaware of the problems. Some of them claimed that while the electorate were happy with what the councillors had done for them, the expectations from the civic body representatives were still very high.

Abha Lata, the councillor from ward number 4, said: “People in my ward are happy that two borewells have been sanctioned for the area in the past two months. But many of them are complaining that the roads in their colony are in a shambles.”

She added: “There has been a mixed response from the people wherever I have gone out to campaign. They are happy with the development work that I have done in past five years. However, many of their demands have remained unfulfilled. Sanitation and lack of streetlights are common complaints.”

Lata has promised to address these problems if she is re-elected.

Promises, however, are unlikely to impress the voters if they are not substantiated by action. Patel Nagar resident Rakesh Kumar told The Telegraph: “Before the polls, the candidates make all kind of promises but they forget everything after they are elected.”

Describing the problems that he and his neighbours encounter almost everyday, the insurance agent said: “Lack of cleanliness and proper drainage in the area requires urgent attention. Also, the streetlamps in the locality are not functional. As a result, it is difficult to go out of home after sundown.”

While the electorate complain about what they want, the candidates claim that they have left no stone unturned to help their voters.

Hemlata Verma, who is contesting from ward no. 3, claims that residents of her constituency are angry over the decision of Bihar Rajya Jal Parishad to shift a boring from the area. “For the past two or three months, I have been trying to persuade PMC (Patna Municipal Corporation) and the urban development officials to provide a boring in the ward. But it has not been done. This has not gone in my favour. Many people are angry about it,” she said.

Verma is not the only one facing heat over water. Many candidates are facing awkward questions from the electorate because of the lack of proper water supply in the city.

Shehzadi Beghum, who is contesting from ward number 40, said the biggest election issue in the area is faulty water supply. “Water supply in the entire city is very weak. When we go out to ask for votes, people complain about the water crisis. They are also sceptical when we promise that the problem would be solved once the ambitious water supply project of the urban development department is completed,” said the candidate.

One civic body aspirant, however, does not need to worry about the demand heat. Current deputy mayor Vinay Kumar Pappu has been elected unopposed from ward no. 28.

For the 71 remaining wards, 631 candidates would battle it out on May 17, when the votes are cast.