The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 29 candidates for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, featuring a mix of sitting legislators, defectors, and former MPs.
Notably, the party has fielded ex-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers Kailash Gahlot from Bijwasan and Raj Kumar Anand from Patel Nagar, as well as former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely from Gandhi Nagar.
The New Delhi constituency promises a high-stakes contest as BJP’s Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma, son of former Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Sahib Singh Verma, takes on AAP leader and CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Congress has also entered the fray with Sandeep Dikshit, son of former CM Sheila Dikshit, making it a battle of legacies. In Kalkaji, BJP has pitted former South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri against AAP’s CM candidate Atishi, while Congress fields Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba.
Lovely, who joined BJP during the Lok Sabha polls, will contest from Gandhi Nagar, replacing the sitting MLA Anil Kumar Bajpai.
Other prominent BJP candidates include former AAP MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar (Chhatarpur), ex-Congress MLA Raj Kumar Chauhan (Mangolpuri), and former MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah, who will face AAP leader and ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in Jangpura. Sisodia, after representing Patparganj for over a decade, has shifted to Jangpura for this election.
The BJP’s list retains sitting MLAs Ajay Mahawar (Ghonda), Jitendra Mahajan (Rohtas Nagar), Vijender Gupta (Rohini), and OP Sharma (Vishwas Nagar). It includes only two women candidates—Rekha Gupta (Shalimar Bagh) and Kumari Rinku (Seemapuri).
The AAP has already announced its candidates for all 70 seats, while Congress has declared 48 so far. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva expressed confidence in the party’s lineup, criticizing the AAP government for its alleged lack of achievements and corruption.
In the 2020 elections, AAP secured a landslide victory with 62 seats, leaving BJP with eight. Currently, AAP holds 58 seats after some resignations and disqualifications, while BJP’s tally has reduced to seven.
Assembly elections are expected in February, as the current term ends on February 23. The official schedule is likely to be announced next week.
The BJP hopes its blend of experience and new faces will reverse its fortunes and form the next government in Delhi. AAP’s response to the BJP’s candidate announcement is awaited.
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