With the Congress campaign committee chief Ajay Maken contesting from the Sadar Bazar, the Old Delhi constituency has become one of the most high profile seats this elections.
In the last Assembly elections, the constituency saw the Aam Aadmi Party’s Som Dutt winning by a slender margin. Mr. Dutt edged past his BJP rival Jai Prakash by just 796 votes.
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This time, the BJP has replaced two-time runner-up Mr. Prakash with Praveen Jain. The party is also pinning its hopes on the impact chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi would have on the seat just like in other parts of the city.
Traditionally, Sadar Bazar has been a Congress bastion, with party’s Rajesh Jain holding the seat from 1998 to 2013 (when he lost).
Mr. Maken to announce his comeback to State politics decided to take the plunge from Sadar Bazar. He spent a decade as a Member of Parliament. However, his second stint has also come with the responsibility of leading his party’s campaign for the Assembly elections.
Mr. Dutt dismisses the Congress challenge altogether claiming that this is a straight fight between the AAP and the BJP. On the saffron party’s prospects, he says a new candidate will harm the party’s prospects.
The area has a considerable Muslim population besides those from the trading communities and Jains. The trading communityis yet to make up its mind on whether to vote for the BJP or the AAP.
This, they say, is primarily due to the saffron party’s pro-trader image versus promises made by the AAP under its dialogue series and during fund-raising events. The Bania caste where Arvind Kejriwal comes from may also factor in, say others.
But one vote bank, which the AAP is eyeing in the area, are the four slum clusters. The party is assured that those living in these areas would throw their weight behind Mr. Dutt.
Constituency Watch - Sardar Bazar
Three main contenders in 2015
BJP: Shri Praveen Jain AAP: Som Dutt
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