The national capital is gearing up for a three-cornered contest among the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the BJP and the Congress for the February 5 Delhi Assembly election. While the AAP is trying its best to retain power for a third consecutive time, the BJP and Congress are leaving no stone unturned to get their share of political pie.
With the election date approaching, key figures are emerging in this high-stakes battle. Here are the 10 key candidates in the fray.
Arvind Kejriwal (AAP): Delhi’s former CM Arvind Kejriwal is contesting from the New Delhi constituency. He is up against BJP’s Parvesh Verma and Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit. Kejrwal first fought from New Delhi seat and this trend has followed for the last three assembly elections. Kejriwal first fought from New Delhi seat and this trend has followed for the last three assembly elections. In the 2013 elections, he won the seat against Congress’ Sheila Dikshit, who was the then chief minister of Delhi.
Ramesh Bidhuri (BJP): The BJP has fielded Ramesh Bidhuri against Delhi CM Atishi from the Kalkaji seat. His recent remarks on Atishi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi have evoked reactions from political parties and social media users.
Satyendra Jain (AAP): The Shakur Basti constituency seat has been won by AAP’s senior leader Satyendra Jain for the last three assembly polls. Jain is up against Congress candidate Satish Luthra. In the 2020 polls, he won with a vote share above 50 per cent. Last year, a Delhi court granted bail to him in a money laundering case due to trial delay and long incarceration.
Sandeep Dikshit (Congress): Sandeep Dikshit, the son of former CM Sheila Dikshit, will be up against AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal and BJP’s Parvesh Verma in New Delhi constituency. Dikshit, a two-time Parliamentarian, also served as the Congress’ national spokesperson.
Atishi (AAP): Delhi Chief Minister Atishi will contest from Kalkaji. She will be facing BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’s Alka Lamba. She also won the seat in the previous 2020 assembly elections, defeating BJP leader Dharambir. Bidhuri recently sparked a row while referring to Atishi's decision to stop using her surname “Marlena”. "Marlena has become Singh... She has changed her father. She was Marlena earlier, but has become Singh now," Bidhuri said.
Parvesh Verma (BJP): Parvesh Verma has been picked by the BJP to take on former chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and the Congress's Sandeep Dikshit in New Delhi constituency. A two-time MP, Parvesh Verma is a prominent Jat face in the national capital. Verma is also the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma and has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since childhood.
Amanatullah Khan (AAP): The AAP leader will contest from the Okhla constituency for the third consecutive time. Khan defeated BJP candidate Braham Singh in 2020 as well as 2015. Last year, a Delhi Court ordered his release in a money laundering case connected to the alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board recruitment during his chairmanship.
Alka Lamba (Congress): The announced the candidature of Alka Lamba from the Kalkaji constituency where she will take on AAP leader and Chief Minister Atishi. Lamba, who is the All India Mahila Congress chief, had won the Chandani Chowk seat in 2015 contesting as an AAP candidate. She joined the Congress in September 2019.
Manish Sisodia (AAP): Manish Sisodia, a founding member of AAP and a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal, will contest from Jangpura. The BJP has put up Tarvinder Singh Marwah as its candidate for the seat, and Congress has put up Farhad Suri as its candidate. In February 2023, Sisodia was arrested by the CBI over allegations of corruption in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy. The Supreme Court granted him bail in August 2024.
Tarvinder Singh Marwah (BJP): The BJP has fielded Tarvinder Singh Marwah as its candidate for the Jangpura seat against AAP leader Manish Sisodia. The seat of the Jangpura constituency was won by the AAP in 2020 as well as 2015 by Praveen Kumar.
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