A day after she filed her nomination, New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi said she was confident of retaining the seat for a second term.
Ms. Lekhi told reporters that the winds were blowing in her favour on the basis of the work done by her during her first term, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public appeal.
The BJP leader accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its convener Arvind Kejriwal of raising the issue of full statehood for Delhi to “cover up its failures and mislead the people”.
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Report card
“The people of the constituency had made me victorious on this seat in 2014. I am confident that they will vote for me in 2019 also... the BJP follows some principles and our main objective is ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’... I have worked in New Delhi accordingly,” Ms. Lekhi said by way of presenting her report card.
“The maximum fund for area development work is ₹25 crore but I have spent ₹32 crore for the various development works in this constituency. I have also completed development work worth crores in coordination with various Union Ministries,” she said.
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According to Ms. Lekhi, at the New Delhi Railway Station, which falls under her constituency, projects such as the construction of shades for passengers had been completed and problems being faced by porters were solved with the help of railway authorities.
When the Auto Taxi Union apprised her about the problem of toilets, Ms. Lekhi claimed she got toilets constructed and also installed coolers in the passenger shades. A foot overbridge was also constructed with the cooperation of the Urban Development Ministry at the cost of ₹10 crore, she said.
“The AIIMS was using groundwater for the last 50 years but my office laid a pipeline for supply of water during my tenure. STP plants have also been installed in view of the problem of water supply in the area. Schools and libraries in public places have also been opened out of CSR fund,” she claimed.
‘Funds unutilised’
Ms. Lekhi said that the Centre had allotted ₹900 crore to the Delhi government but Mr. Kejriwal had “failed to utilise this fund” and had “not done any work” in the interest of the people of the Capital which had resulted in the “failure of the system”.