No easy game for Cong in Delhi

Those who win Delhi will go on to wrest power at the national level. This is a saying in political circles in the national capital. Though the constituencies are just seven in number, winning the maximum number of seats is prestigious for all parties.

The Congress, which scored its third consecutive win in the Delhi Assembly polls recently on the plank of development, has now put the same issue to test again. As against the normal bi-polar contest between the Congress and the BJP, it has turned triangular this time following the entry of the BSP.

As a total of 160 candidates are in the fray against 129 in the 2004 elections, Thursday’s exercise will be spread over 11, 348 polling booths with 1.1 crore voters. This time, though the contest has become tougher after the demography of the constituencies changed post-delimitation, the party is confident of reaping the maximum numbers of seats.

But poll pundits predict though the Congress had fared extremely well in the Assembly poll, it may be difficult to repeat the same in the LS polls as the BJP is giving a keen fight in most constituencies. Issues such as soaring prices, normal business taking a hit due to the economic downturn, school fee hike and power problems are going against the Congress.

The BJP is banking heavily on anti-incumbency and anti-Sikh sentiments to dislodge the Congress hegemony. The Congress was forced to replace its two key candidates—Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar—in northeast Delhi and south Delhi seats respectively, following the Sikh protests over the party decision to field the two leaders. Tytler and Kumar have been accused of their alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

How much the BSP would cut into the share of the main two parties is crucial. Though the BSP got just two seats in the Assembly poll, the Mayawati-led party has fielded several cash-rich candidates, including Deepak Bharadwaj from west Delhi who is the richest candidate in the country.

Despite Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit ushering the Congress campaign on developmental issues, several candidates have already complained against her for not working hard as she did during the Assembly poll.

The poll will also decide the fates of Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal and Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken.

Another key contest will be for the east Delhi seat where cricketer-turned-politician and BJP leader Chetan Chauhan is contesting against sitting MP Sandeep Dikshit. Chauhan is equally popular in the constituency, which was openly admitted by the former.