New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has begun preparations for Delhi Legislative Assembly polls, scheduled to be held early next year. And it has begun screening for candidates who can provide a strong contest to the Aam Aadmi Party.
Sources stated that the party leadership has decided to field former Members of Parliament, Ramesh Bidhuri and Parvesh Verma, in the forthcoming elections. Interestingly, both these candidates come from the national capital’s urbanised villages and have strong backing amongst their respective caste voters.
It is learnt that the two leaders, who had been denied a ticket to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, have been asked to finalise their respective Assembly constituencies and begin grooming these for the forthcoming contest.
Sources stated that the two Delhi leaders are being readied for a contest against the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. Â
The decision was made at a recent meeting and conveyed by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the two probable candidates. Â
The two leaders have been asked to ensure that they are able to rally the local workers and enthuse the cadres, as the party has been unable to win any local election in the national capital for the past several years.
Though the BJP was successful in securing all seven Lok Sabha seats from Delhi in 2024, 2019 and 2014, the party has been desperate to dislodge the AAP from the Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for the past several years.Â
Moreover, by keeping these senior and powerful leaders engaged, the BJP is also hoping to keep any dissent and anti-party activity at bay, a senior leader pointed out. The 70-member Delhi Legislative Assembly is scheduled to go to polls early next year.
No decision on other ex-MPs
While the names of Bidhuri and Verma may have been finalised, the saffron unit is yet to take a call on fielding other ex-MPs from Delhi who had been denied tickets in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.Â
Sources stated that a decision on the names of former Union Ministers Dr Harsh Vardhan and Meenakshi Lekhi may be taken at a later stage. While former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has already quit active politics, sources pointed out.
If the party feels that fielding these leaders will be beneficial, they would be entered into the fray against top rung leaders of the AAP, most of whom, including Kejriwal, are under judicial custody.
The formula to field former MPs has already been tested successfully in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls held last year.Â
The BJP had fielded several senior leaders, including many sitting Union Ministers to successfully dislodge the Congress government in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan while also saving its incumbent government in Madhya Pradesh, sources pointed out. Â
The BJP is trying hard to replicate the 2023 Assembly polls’ success in Delhi as well. By fielding these senior leaders, against a seemingly invincible Kejriwal, the saffron unit is also trying to give them an opportunity to prove themselves in the electoral battlefield again.
