BJP first list out, does not have name of CM face

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) first list of 57 candidates has added to the suspense over its chief ministerial candidate in the Delhi assembly elections as the list does not include senior party leaders except for the leader of opposition in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta, who will seek re-election from Rohini.

Also, with the BJP withholding the names of candidates from two key assembly segments -- New Delhi, where Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is contesting his third election, and Krishna Nagar, which has been represented by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan, and BJP’S chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi lost in the 2015 elections -- fuelled speculation that the party is likely to field political heavyweight s from these constituencies.

Senior BJP leaders say that discussions are still on regarding whom to field against Kejriwal.

The party is looking for a strong candidate who can give a “tough fight” to the CM.

In 2013, Kejriwal defeated Vijender Gupta and thenchief minister Sheila Dikhshit of the Congress.

In 2015, he defeated the then Delhi BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

“We don’t want it to be an easy contest for him. The party will announce a strong candidate against him,” said a senior BJP leader, who did not want to be named.

The BJP’S decision to withhold the candidate name for Krishna Nagar has led to speculation that Vardhan might contest again.

The party announced Vardhan, a five-time MLA from Krishna Nagar, as its CM face in 2013.

But, in 2015, the party named former IPS officer Bedi as its CM candidate.

She also contested from Krishna Nagar constituency because it is a BJP stronghold. She lost to the Aam Aadmi Party’s SK Bagga by 2,277 votes.