BJP bets on fresh faces for Delhi constituencies

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday named the party’s state unit president Harsh Vardhan, its national spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi and Bhojpuri singer and actor Manoj Tiwari among the seven candidates contesting the parliamentary elections from Delhi. 

Apart from Tiwari, who had earlier contested on a Samajwadi Party ticket from UP, this will be the first parliamentary elections for the rest of the BJP candidates from Delhi.

The party has fielded Harsh Vardhan from the Chandni Chowk constituency against the Congress’ sitting MP and Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal and AAP candidate and former journalist Ashutosh. 

Former Delhi chief minister Saheb Singh Verma’s son and sitting MLA from Mehrauli Parvesh Verma has been fielded from the West Delhi constituency, against sitting Congress MP Mahabal Mishra and the AAP's Jarnail Singh, another former journalist.

Meenakshi Lekhi will contest from the New Delhi constituency against sitting Congress MP and former Union minister Ajay Maken and the AAP’s candidate Ashish Khetan, an investigative journalist. Bhojpuri actor and singer Manoj Tiwari will contest on the party’s ticket from the North-East Delhi constituency against sitting Congress MP J P Agarwal and the AAP’s Anand Kumar.

Dalit leader Udit Raj, who recently joined the BJP, has been fielded from the North-West Delhi seat—the only reserved constituency in the city. He will contest against sitting Congress MP and Union Woman and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath and the AAP’s social-activist candidate Mahender Singh.

The party decided to field spiritual leader Mahesh Giri from the East Delhi constituency. He will contest against sitting Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit, who is also the son of Sheila Dikshit, and, and AAP candidate Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
Party MLA from Tughlakabad Ramesh Bidhuri has been fielded from the South Delhi constituency. Bidhuri has been pitted against sitting Congress MP Ramesh Kumar, who is also the brother of veteran Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, and the AAP’s Col (retd) Devendra Sehrawat.