Mohali, May 22 -- Sitting just outside the northern edge of planned city Chandigarh, Nayagaon, a town and municipal council in Mohali district, serves as a classic example of how unplanned growth can directly affect the quality of life of residents. While Chandigarh is internationally known for its meticulously planned sectors, wide roads and low-density housing, Nayagaon stands in stark contrast with its narrow, broken roads, multi-storey constructions and limited civic amenities. While it was a gram panchayat until 2006, it was elevated to the status of municipal council in 2017. But nearly a decade on, the town still lacks a proper sewerage network. Several localities either lack underground sewer lines or depend on old pipelines to handle the growing population load. While work on laying new sewer pipes and expanding the sewerage infrastructure is underway in parts of the town, residents say the project has progressed slowly, pushing sewage and wastewater onto the roads and market areas. To make matters worse, garbage is strewn all across the sidewalks and the roads too are dilapidated and full of slush. Anita Jain, a resident of Nayagaon, says, "The roads are already in a bad shape, and even a brief spell of rain leads to water accumulation for hours. During monsoon, the situation gets so bad that we are unable to even step out of our homes." Even as political parties are intensifying ward-level outreach in the lead up to the polls, residents' everyday life continues to remain a struggle. "We have been facing water shortage for the past three days. We are unable to manage even daily household work. Despite repeated complaints, authorities have not done anything," says Chaman Lal, a resident of Vikas Nagar. "Everyone talks about development during elections but we want to see the results on ground," says Shruti Sharma, a resident. In all, 87 candidates are in fray from 21 wards here. Compared to the previous civic elections in 2021, both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have expanded their presence. The BJP, which had contested 15 wards in the last polls, has fielded candidates in all wards this time, while the AAP has increased its tally from seven candidates in 2021 to 19 this time. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which had emerged as the single-largest party in the previous elections with 10 wards, is looking to retain its foothold in the council, while Congress is trying to regain ground. Candidates across party lines are promising development and improved civic amenities. AAP candidate Garja Singh, 76, said completion of pending sewerage works and greater transparency in civic administration would be among his priorities if elected. "People should know what work is happening and what is not. More civic work should gradually come online so there is transparency and accountability," he said, adding that he wanted to make Nayagaon "a real naya gaon". These elections are also seeing strong participation by women candidates. While 10 wards have been reserved for women, female candidates are contesting from general wards too, taking the total number of women contestants to 45. Among the youngest women candidates is 22-year-old SAD nominee Sarabjit Kaur from ward 19, while 74-year-old Independent candidate Manjit Kaur from ward 14 is among the oldest women contestants. In the general category, 23-year-old Congress candidate Sarabjit Singh from ward 6 is among the youngest contestants, while Garja Singh is the oldest male candidate in the fray....