Delhi elections: BJP pits Sunil Yadav against CM Arvind Kejriwal
After days of dilly-dallying, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) revealed whom it will field against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi Assembly seat. The saffron party has pinned its hopes on youth leader, Sunil Yadav. An advocate by profession, Yadav's name was announced in the final list released after 1 am today. Reacting to the selection, AAP claimed BJP has "accepted defeat".
AAP which pulled off an enviable feat in 2015 elections by winning 67 of 70 seats, is hoping for redux. On the other hand, BJP, which hasn't been in power in Delhi for more than two decades, is also eyeing a victory, riding on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity. Polls will be held on February 8, and results will be declared three days later.
By choosing Yadav to take on Kejriwal, BJP hinted it's relying on his youth appeal. Yadav is currently the state president of the Delhi wing of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). He started his political career as Mandal President at the same outfit, went on to become the district president, the Delhi general secretary, and then Delhi secretary. Yadav is also a social worker.
With nearly 16,300 Twitter followers and over 1,00,000 likes on the Facebook page, Yadav has a decent enough social media presence. But his popularity is nowhere close to Kejriwal's. Commenting on the selection, AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted, "Going by this list and BJP candidate against CM Kejriwal, it seems, BJP has surrendered." Separately, Congress has fielded Romesh Sabharwal from the seat.
Another prominent name that featured in the latest list of 10 candidates was BJP Delhi spokesperson Tajinder Bagga. He has been fielded from Hari Nagar, though he wanted a ticket from Tilak Nagar. After Bagga's name was not included in the first list, he was mercilessly trolled on social media. A controversial politician, Bagga faces accusations of beating former AAP leader Prashant Bhushan.
How's the Josh #Bagga4HariNagar pic.twitter.com/rEunmvNF2E
— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) January 21, 2020
BJP released the list hours after the party got a new president — JP Nadda. The politician, seen as PM Modi's trusted lieutenant, was made the working president after Lok Sabha polls in 2019. He formally took over the reins of BJP and was elected unopposed. He is succeeding Home Minister Amit Shah, who is credited for expanding BJP's footprints across the country.
Meanwhile, Kejriwal is expected to file his nomination at 10:45 am at Jamnagar House. He was scheduled to submit the papers yesterday, but a grand roadshow delayed the paperwork. Starting at Valmiki Mandir, the "Walk With Kejriwal" roadshow went on for more than two hours. Hundreds of AAP supporters cheered and waved brooms (AAP's party symbol) to show support for the CM.
"I am touched by this overwhelming support. I love you. We have worked really hard in these five years to improve the lives of the people of Delhi," Kejriwal, who was supposed to reach the office of Election Commissioner by 3 pm, told the crowd yesterday.
