The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday released its second list of 29 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, taking the tally of declared candidates to 58 out of 70. The party is eyeing the capital city after a 25-year gap, and as a preparatory measure, it has put up a few veterans along with the newcomers to take on Aam Aadmi Party who are eying their third term.
Former MLA Kapil Mishra has been fielded from Karawal Nagar. Abhay Verma, who is the sitting MLA from Lakshmi Nagar, has been re-nominated from the same constituency. The son of former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana, Harish Khurana, will be the BJP candidate from Moti Nagar.
Second List of Candidates Released by BJP
Neelam Pahalwan will contest AAP’s influence in Najafgarh, a seat previously held by former AAP minister Kailash Gahlot. Gahlot, who joined the BJP last year after a fallout with AAP, is now contesting from Bijswasan under the BJP banner.
The first list of candidates, released on January 4, includes several prominent names. BJP’s Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Verma will be pitted against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency, while Ramesh Bidhuri is going to contest against Delhi Chief Minister Atishi in Kalkaji. Former AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand, who also joined BJP this year, has been fielded from Patel Nagar.
Delhi’s voters will cast their ballots for all 70 Assembly constituencies on February 5, with results to be announced on February 8. The BJP, which has been out of power in the capital since 1998, is focusing on a strong campaign to wrest control from AAP.
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