Sat Jan 04 23:33:04 UTC 2025: **BJP Unveils Delhi Election Candidates, Pitting Verma Against Kejriwal**
NEW DELHI — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its first list of 29 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle. The list includes several high-profile defectors from other parties and pits some key figures against prominent AAP leaders.
Former Lok Sabha MP Parvesh Verma will challenge Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency. This contest is particularly noteworthy given that Kejriwal has held the seat since 2013 and Verma has been accused by the AAP of voter bribery – allegations he denies. The AAP has filed a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Verma. The Congress has nominated Sandeep Dikshit for the seat.
Other notable candidates include BJP veteran Ramesh Bidhuri, who will contest against AAP’s Atishi in Kalkaji. Former AAP ministers Raaj Kumar Anand (Patel Nagar) and Kailash Gahlot (Bijwasan), who joined the BJP last year, have also received tickets. Gahlot, who previously described himself as Kejriwal’s loyalist, cited a divergence from the AAP’s core values as the reason for his switch. Former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely will contest from Gandhi Nagar after the BJP dropped sitting MLA Anil Bajpai. Several other former Congress MLAs, including Rajkumar Chauhan and Tarwinder Singh Marwah, are also on the BJP’s list.
Several sitting BJP MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta, will re-contest their seats. The BJP’s list also features former Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay.
While the AAP has already announced its full slate of 70 candidates, and the Congress has named 47, the BJP’s candidate announcements are expected to continue. The Delhi Assembly elections promise to be a closely fought contest.
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