Delhi's Lok Sabha Battle: Why BJP Banks Fresh Faces Over Sitting MPs (image:facebook.com/BJP4Delhi)
The winnability factor was the BJP”s core driving motive while choosing its candidates for upcoming election. As per the first list, the party has dropped four of the five sitting MPs in the Delhi, and gives weight to fresh faces. The BJP wanted dismantle any slight chance for anti-incumbency at any of these seats. Besides, the representation of women, mix of youth and experience, and organisational performance, might have kept in mind by the party while deciding candidates, The Indian Express reports.
In the first list of 195 candidates released, five of the seven seats from Delhi— New Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi, Chandni Chowk and North East Delhi are included.
In New Delhi, the BJP has selected Delhi BJP secretary Bansuri Swaraj over Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi. Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of late Union minister Sushma Swaraj, is a lawyer in the Supreme Court. But, Modi who is a staunch critique of family-oriented politics has chosen Bansuri Swaraj, a dynast is surprising.
In South Delhi, the party replaced Ramesh Bidhuri with Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. Ramesh Bidhuri, the sitting MP, has been representing the South Delhi seat since 2014 and he was an MLA before that. Though Ramesh Bidhuri holds sway over Gujjar community votes, his recent communal slurs in the parliament targeting Danish Ali was not received well. Ramvir Singh Bidhuri is a four-time MLA from the Badarpur assembly constituency and he was selected as the leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly in 2020.
For Chandni Chowk, the BJP has fielded Praveen Khandelwal over former Union Minister Harsh Vardhan. Harsh Vardhan”s presence was dwindling after his removal from the Health ministry and two terms in the Lok Sabha. Hence, Praveen Khandelwal selected as a viable option. A secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Praveen Khandelwal previously served as a treasurer of the BJP’s Delhi unit.
In West Delhi, BJP fielded Kamaljeet Sehrawat over sitting MP Parvesh Verma. Kamaljeet Sehrawat previously served as the mayor of the erstwhile South Delhi Municipal Corporation.Though Parvesh Verma is a two-time MP and holds significant support base in the region as the son of former Chief Minister, late Sahib Singh Verma, but his controversial remarks at various times posed to deny ticket, it seems. Parvesh Verma”s inciting remarks during the Shaheen Bagh protest in 2020 that the demonstrators would be cleared in an hour if the BJP came to power in Delhi, and his public boycott call reprotedly targeted at Muslims in 2022, has brought bad name to the party. Meanwhile, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, not only comes under women representation but also comes from the Jaat community from sitting MP Parvesh Verma belongs.
Manoj Tiwari, the North East Delhi MP is the only leader BJP has repeated for the second time from the same seat. Actor-turned-politician, Manoj Tiwari holds significant influence among the Purvanchali voters in Delhi.
Meanwhile, the BJP is yet to announce its candidates for the East Delhi and North West Delhi constituencies.
The BJP has sweeped all seven seats in the national capital, during the previous two Lok Sabha polls. In 2019 general elections, the party has grabbed over 50% of the vote share in all seats. But, when the last two elections witnessed a three-cornered contest between AAP, Congress and BJP, this time, as part of INDIA alliance, the AAP and Congress have agreed to contest election together.
As the AAP will contest four seats, namely New Delhi, South Delhi, West Delhi, and East Delhi, the Congress will field candidates in the remaining three, namely Chandni Chowk, North East Delhi and North West Delhi constituencies.
