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Among leaders addressing public meetings in the constituency are former Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu. The party has also pressed in eight candidates who emerged victorious in the Assembly elections.
Polling was stopped in the constituency after BJP candidate Puran Chand Yogi was found dead on November 16. Campaigning closes at 5 pm on Thursday, and the recently victorious candidates are leaving no stones unturned to draw out the voters.
MLA Surender Pal Ratawal, for instance, has been assigned 18 polling stations of Sat Nagar, cut out from Karol Bagh constituency. “I am holding meetings at each polling station. This seat has been with BJP for a long time and we are hopeful of retaining it,” Ratawal said.
The party here is banking on BSP candidate Tek Chand Sharma to split the Congress votes. “Sharma will cut into votes of Congress candidate Ramkant Goswami,” Ratawal said. “Sharma managed to get nearly 8,000 votes as an Independent (in 2003), and is expected to get a lot more this time.”
Mundka MLA Manoj Shokeen is focussing on J J Colony in Inderpuri, while Patel Nagar MLA Subash Sachdeva has been assigned Loha Mandi area. Tilak Nagar MLA O P Babbar is campaigning in Katputhli Colony while Delhi Cantonment MLA Karna Sinh Tanwar is going door to door in Narayana village.
The winning candidate from Bijwasan, Satprakash Rana, is campaigning in Dasgara village.
Puran Chand Yogi’s wife Asha is contesting from the seat. “When my father won in the last two elections, the party’s tally was really low in Assembly,” son Rajiv Yogi said, “so it should matter this time too. He did a lot of work for the area and the least the residents could do is support my mother.”
VK back to business, elsewhere
While Vijay Kumar Malhotra held a meeting on Wednesday evening at Pandav Nagar in Katputhli Colony ahead of Saturday’s polling in Rajinder Nagar constituency, he was also back at the Parliament, attending a session in his capacity as an MP. He has another 11 days to decide which post he would let go — MP or MLA.
The BJP is said to be waiting for his decision before beginning the process of reshuffle in its Delhi unit. Delhi BJP president Dr Harsh Vardhan’s tenure ends on December 19, and he has reportedly refused to resign from the post before the due date.
In case Malhotra decides to resign from the Delhi Assembly, the party will have to hunt for both a Leader of Opposition in the Assembly as well as the Delhi unit president.
BJP leaders are, meanwhile, weighing the odds: some are of the opinion that the party must make a major reshuffle to ensure a brighter result in the Lok Sabha elections. The other view is any major reshuffle at this point might leave the party cadres and workers further confused and demoralised.
congress living in a fantasy world
BJP lost a sure win in Delhi by projecting an abrasive, old and outdated candidate for the CM's post. Maalhotra should be retired from active politics and relpaced by a much younger man; and if BJP cannot find one it will continue to lose the votes of thousands if not lakhs. New and young faces are required in Politics as in other fields such as cricket etc.
Dear Editor,In the spirit of ‘Jo Jeeta Woh Sikandar’, Congress party, supportive media and the BJP-critics may pat Congress on its back for recent electoral victory in Delhi and denigrate BJP for ‘exploiting’ terrorism and inflation issues not helping BJP win votes. But, the facts speak for themselves: Congress vote-share has reduced from 48.1% in 2003 to 41% in 2008, while that of BJP has increased from 35.2 to 37%. Objectively speaking, this was more of BJP’s defeat than the victory of Congress. So, Congress can neglect terrorism, inflation and BSP’s elephant as real issues at their own peril only. Finally, garnering votes by election eve sops of 6th Pay Commission, pussy-footing with Batla House encounter for minority votes and regularization of unauthorized colonies on govt. land is no secret to Delhites.Thanking you,Yours faithfully,Anant GuptaNew Delhi
