Five independents get BJP backing

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to support independent candidates in five wards where nominations of its official candidates were cancelled after discrepancies were observed in their papers.

Twinkle Kalia (Kishanganj), Amrita Rashmi (Bapraula), Gulfam (Abul Fazal Enclave), Rahul Singh (Vinod Nagar), and Lata Soni (Lado Sarai) will be supported by the party. The BJP formally extended support to them on Tuesday in the presence of BJP vice-president Shyam Jaju and East Delhi MP Maheish Girri at the state party headquarters on Pandit Pant Marg.

“Several Congress and AAP leaders who are contesting elections as Independents had approached us for support. We chose these five nominees on the basis of their work. For example, Kalia is the first woman hearse van driver in the country. We particularly checked whether they have criminal case against them or not,” said Jaju.

He also said the party had given a 72-hour ultimatum to rebels to withdraw their nomination or they would be removed from the party.

The papers of party candidates including ‘covering’ contestants were cancelled in six wards — East Vinod Nagar, Kishanganj, Abul Fazal Enclave, Lado Sarai, Bapraula, and Trilokpur west, because of which the party will have no official nominee in these seats. However following the court order, nomination of Saroj Singh in Trilokpuri was restored.

“This was an important decision to make after nominations of our leaders were rejected. We have dedicated voters in those wards which couldn’t leave them without any candidates,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday denied relief to two BJP candidates whose nominations were rejected.

A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Anu Malhotra dismissed BJP candidate Ravinder Negi’s, candidate from ward 10 E Vinod Nagar, appeal against a single judge’s order upholding rejection of his nomination. Another bench of Justice VK Rao denied any interim relief to Pinki Kumari, nominated on a seat reserved for SCs.