Facing a tough triangular contest in the New Delhi Assembly constituency, the Aam Aadmi Party convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is seemingly considering filing his nomination from an additional “safe” constituency.
The most interesting and tough contest is being played out in the New Delhi Assembly constituency, where AAP convenor Kejriwal is pitted against the sons of two former chief ministers of Delhi. While the Congress has fielded Sheila Dikshit’s son, Sandeep, Bharatiya Janata Party has put up Sahib Singh Verma’s son, Parvesh.
Kejriwal has secured three consecutive elections from New Delhi — in 2013, 2015 and 2020 — by big margins. However, sources in the AAP stated that after the BJP and Congress came out with their respective candidates, a section in the party feels that a “safe” seat for the former CM needs to be found in the national capital. “The New Delhi area is cosmopolitan in nature, where the voters are well educated and upwardly mobile. The party is trying to shortlist another constituency where the percentage of minority population is higher and may be considered safe for the party leader,” sources added.
If Kejriwal suffers a loss in the forthcoming Assembly polls, it is expected to create political roadblock for the AAP strongman as his claim to the Chief Minister’s post will weaken. Hence the need to look for a safe seat, sources added.
The move is being planned by the AAP after a strong feeling that Kejriwal is likely to face his toughest electoral battle in the New Delhi constituency so far due to the triangular contest. In the closely fought battle, Sandeep is trying to reclaim the legacy of the former Chief Minister and his mother, who had represented the area in the Assembly repeatedly. By fielding Sandeep, Congress has sent a clear message in Delhi Assembly elections that it wants to reclaim the legacy of its stalwart leader Sheila Dikshit. This move shows the seriousness of the party to reclaim power in the national capital.
On the other hand BJP is also in no mood to give a walkover to Kejriwal and its candidate, Parvesh, is giving a tough time to the AAP strongman by retaining the saffron cadre votes and also appealing to the young population of the constituency.
Meanwhile, ahead of the much-anticipated Delhi Legislative Assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party has continued to pursue its earlier strategy of promising and enhancing freebies to the national capital’s voters.
Fearing heavy anti-incumbency, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has announced several schemes promising freebies to various sections of society in an attempt to consolidate its vote base in the forthcoming polls.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to announce the dates for the upcoming Assembly polls today, setting the stage for a fierce electoral fight between the incumbent AAP, the BJP, and the Congress.
The 70-member Legislative Assembly in Delhi is scheduled to go for polls in February 2025. Besides the ruling AAP, the BJP and the Congress are the main contenders.
Over the years, AAP has seen a decline in winning seats in 2020 as compared to 2015. The party won 67 seats in Delhi for the year 2015 and 62 in 2020.
