New Delhi: The BJP released its first list of 57 candidates for next month’s Delhi assembly elections Friday. However, it is “struggling” to find someone to face Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party from the New Delhi constituency.
“A number of candidates were approached, but they are not too keen. If the party asks them to contest, they will have to. But the party is still struggling to find a suitable candidate,” a BJP source told ThePrint.
“A number of names are being discussed but a final decision could not be taken yesterday. We will field a strong candidate against Kejriwal,” a senior BJP leader added.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said the names for the other 13 seats will be released soon.
Also read: Does BJP have a CM face to take on Kejriwal in Delhi election or will it rely on Modi?
Who’s on the list?
Among the prominent names on the list is Kapil Mishra, a former AAP MLA, who will be fighting the election from Model Town.
Veteran Delhi BJP leader Vijender Gupta has been fielded from Rohini.
Some former municipal councillors have also been given tickets, including Yogender Chandolia, Ravinder Gupta, Mahender Nagpal and Rekha Gupta.
The list of 57 includes four women candidates and 11 people belonging to the Scheduled Castes.
Also read: Delhi BJP has a problem as assembly polls near — poor performance of municipal bodies
A crucial election
The 8 February elections are crucial for the BJP, following a number of electoral setbacks — the party has lost five state elections within a span of one year, and managed to remain in power in Haryana only thanks to a new ally, Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party.
The BJP hasn’t ruled the national capital since 1998, but hopes that the Narendra Modi government’s decision to regularise thousands of unauthorised colonies will boost its electoral fortunes. However, the AAP has also taken credit for the move.
The BJP won all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in last year’s general election, five of them with record-setting margins. It was a far cry from the 2015 assembly elections, when the BJP won just three of the 70 seats as the AAP swept to power.
The AAP released its list of candidates Tuesday, and some of its unsuccessful Lok Sabha candidates have been given tickets again — Atishi, Raghav Chadha and Dilip Pandey. The Congress is yet to release its list.
Also read: AAP candidate list for Delhi elections is out — 23 new faces, 8 women, 6 Congress defectors