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Hectic politicking for seats in Delhi Congress

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Central Election Committee of the party due to meet again soon

According to party sources seats of several candidates may be reviewed
Unofficially 53 candidates have been finalised in the first meeting of the CEC

NEW DELHI: With the Central Election Committee of the Congress due to meet again soon to finalise the names of candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections, hectic politicking has resumed for the seats from which there are still more than one aspirants in the reckoning.

While unofficially as many as 53 candidates had been finalised in the first meeting of the CEC held last Saturday, party sources said several of those seats may be reviewed. Apparently some in the party are trying to see to it that former Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma and Rohtas Nagar MLA, whose name had figured in the list of 53, does not get the ticket this time. They are supporting Babarpur MLA Vinay Sharma’s name for the seat instead.

Another opponent of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit whose candidature is in limbo this time is Ghonda MLA and Delhi jal Board Vice-Chairman Bheesham Sharma. He is struggling for a re-nomination. He is being accused of anti-party activities and those in the running for the ticket include former Councillor Ishwar Goel, Mahender Jain and Nathu Singh.

One more seat that may be reviewed is Sangam Vihar from where Tek Chand Sharma was being considered the frontrunner. Now party sources said this former MLA who had been denied ticket in 2003 due to his old age may not finally get the ticket as his nomination would go against the recommendations of the A.K. Antony Committee that had stipulated an age criteria for candidates. The party is now considering a Poorvanchali leader Sunil Sahai from the seat. But all eyes are trained on the three big fights of the Congress in Delhi. From Malviya Nagar, sitting MLA and Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri is seeking a ticket. But there is another candidate in Hauz Khas MLA Kiran Walia who is claiming to be the “natural candidate” as Malviya Nagar now comprises about 67 per cent of her old constituency. On the other hand only about 20 per cent of Malviya Nagar is Dr Shastri’s constituency. Many therefore want him to shift to Mehrauli, which has a large population of Jats, the community to which he belongs.From Jangpura, sitting MLA Talwinder Singh Marwah may be the “natural choice” but some party leaders are backing the candidate of Minto Road MLA Tajdar Babar as she is an “old Muslim woman leader” who has won all her elections and can now not go to any other constituency. Also, it is being said that in the newly defined Jangpura constituency, while a smaller portion of Ms. Babar’s constituency has got included her vote bank is more devoted to the Congress than that of Mr. Marwah.

Therefore attempts are being made to cajole Mr. Marwah into contesting from Tilak Nagar – that has so far been kept vacant – and from where he had contested in 2003. It is another matter though that Mr. Marwah is not keen on going to Tilak Nagar as he had lost from there the last time round. In the case of Sadar Bazar too, sitting MLA Rajesh Jain and Kamla Nagar MLA Shadi Ram are in contention. Here again the fight is tough as though Mr. Jain is the “natural candidate” , Mr. Shadi Ram also wields considerable influence.

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