Monday, December 29, 2025
ADVT 
India

Both BJP, AAP claim they will win Delhi battle

Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 Nov, 2014 10:25 AM
    Soon after the cabinet recommended the dissolution of the Delhi assembly, both the BJP and the AAP Tuesday claimed they were confident of winning the fresh elections.
     
    But Bharatiya Janata Party's Delhi unit president Satish Upadhyay said his party -- unlike in the December 2013 election -- would not project a chief ministerial candidate. 
     
    "It's too early to talk about the CM candidate. The party will decide at the right time and will choose a leader through a democratic process," he said, adding quickly that he was not in the race for the post.
     
    Upadhyay said the BJP would repeat its winning streak in Maharashtra and Haryana in Delhi too. 
     
    Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal meanwhile accused the BJP of spreading communal poison in Delhi and said his party would bring together eminent religious leaders to combat this.
     
    The former chief minister also insisted that the AAP would win a majority in the upcoming election in the capital.
     
    "We will win in Delhi no matter how hard the BJP tries."
     
    Upadhyay and Kejriwal spoke a day after Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung was told by all three major parties in Delhi -- the BJP, AAP and Congress -- that said they favoured fresh elections.
     
    Kejriwal said the AAP was confident of winning more than 45 of the 70 seats in Delhi -- up from the 28 it bagged in 2013, leading then to a hung house.
     
    After the BJP with 31 seats refused to form a government, the AAP took power with the backing of the Congress. But the government collapsed in 49 days, leading to political uncertainty.
     
    Kejriwal said the AAP would seek votes on three key issues: its achievements during its 49-day rule, a corruption-free Delhi and making the capital one of the world's best cities.
     
    Asked if he could take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AAP leader said Delhi's voters would have to choose between him (Kejriwal) and BJP's Jagdish Mukhi for the chief minister's post.
     
    "Will Modi resign as prime minister and contest for the chief ministership of Delhi?"
     
    Upadhyay said: "Our MLAs are ready for fresh elections and we will fight under a collective leadership... We will repeat our performance of Haryana and Maharashtra."
     
    He said the BJP's main plank would be "good governance".
     
    Kejriwal and his colleagues attacked the BJP for delaying the elections all these months and accused it of using "unfair means" to install a BJP government in Delhi. 
     
    The capital has been under President's rule since Feb 17.
     
    Earlier Tuesday, the union cabinet recommended the dissolution of the Delhi assembly, paving the way for a fresh electoral contest.
     
    The BJP and the Congress have traditionally held sway in Delhi. This changed last year when the AAP contested the assembly elections and pulled off a stunning performance winning 28 seats.
     
    In comparison to the BJP's 31 seats, the Congress got just eight seats.
     
    This year, the BJP won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the capital. The AAP finished second in all the places. The Congress either finished third or fourth.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Anjali Damania, Preeti Sharma-Menon quit AAP

    Anjali Damania, Preeti Sharma-Menon quit AAP
    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Maharashtra suffered a post-poll setback when two senior leaders - state convenor Anjali Damania and state secretary Preeti Sharma-Menon - quit the party Thursday.

    Anjali Damania, Preeti Sharma-Menon quit AAP

    Modi-Obama summit in September, will end visa ban

    Modi-Obama summit in September, will end visa ban
    Nearly a decade after it denied him a visa and blacklisted him, the US is practically preparing to roll out the red carpet for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is set to hold a summit meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington in September-end this year.

    Modi-Obama summit in September, will end visa ban

    1,000 Indian students evacuated from eastern Ukraine region

    1,000 Indian students evacuated from eastern Ukraine region
    Around 1,000 Indian nationals, mostly students, are returning home from the restive region of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine after the Indian mission arranged to bring them safely to capital Kiev and the onward journey to India.

    1,000 Indian students evacuated from eastern Ukraine region

    Gadkari to be given charge of Munde's ministries

    Gadkari to be given charge of Munde's ministries
    Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will hold additional charge as minister of rural development, panchayti raj, and drinking water and sanitation, a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement Wednesday said.

    Gadkari to be given charge of Munde's ministries

    Sahara chief to remain in jail even as SC lifts freeze on assets

    Sahara chief to remain in jail even as SC lifts freeze on assets
    Sahara group chief Subrata Roy will remain in jail even as the Supreme Court Wednesday lifted the freeze on the group's moveable and immovable assets so it could raise Rs.10,000 crore for part repayment of investors money collected by two group companies.

    Sahara chief to remain in jail even as SC lifts freeze on assets

    Indian's abduction: Afghans arrest suspect, family prays for safe return

    Indian's abduction: Afghans arrest suspect, family prays for safe return
    Afghan security forces Wednesday arrested a suspect in connection with the kidnapping of an Indian aid worker, Jesuit priest Father Alexis Prem Kumar, in western Herat province even as his family in Tamil Nadu prayed for his safety and sought "good news".

    Indian's abduction: Afghans arrest suspect, family prays for safe return