BJP has a tough choice to make for New Delhi, Chandni Chowk

LOK SABHA POLLS Party has to choose between a star or local leaders

NEW DELHI: Hectic talks are on within the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the choice of party candidates from New Delhi and Chandni Chowk parliamentary constituencies.

According to senior leaders in the Delhi unit, the party is a divided house as it mulls whether to field a ‘star’ such as Hema Malini or Kirron Kher or a senior face from the city.

The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly elections, is busy deciding candidates for the seven Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi. The emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has only toughened the challenge for the party. Unlike the previous years, this time Delhi will see a triangular contest and the BJP has already declared that its main rival will be AAP after the decimation of the Congress in the assembly polls.

For Chandni Chowk, AAP has already declared Ashutosh, a former journalist, as its candidate. And the party may field its national convener Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency.

Among the names for the New Delhi constituency, the BJP is looking at Subramanian Swamy, Kiran Bedi, Bollywood actors Hema Malini and Kirron Kher and Vijay Jolly — who had contested from there against Congress’ Sheila Dikshit in the last assembly polls.

“We are sure he (Kejriwal) will contest from New Delhi even though he has been saying that he might not contest Lok Sabha elections. We will give him a tough challenge. Several names are being discussed and a decision will be taken soon,” said a senior BJP leader.

Anna Hazare’s close-aide Kiran Bedi’s name is also doing the rounds for the New Delhi constituency but this will depend on whether she joins the BJP or not.

“She is yet to join the party. Though the national leadership is keen on fielding her in the elections, she seems reluctant to enter mainstream politics at this point,” said a senior BJP leader.

The party is undertaking internal surveys and is taking feedback from the grassroots workers.

For the Chandni Chowk constituency names of Vijender Gupta, a former Delhi unit chief and the former party candidate, Nalin Kohli, MLA Nand Kishore Garg and Mange Ram Garg are being discussed.

However, senior BJP leaders said the party is planning not to field any MLA for Lok Sabha elections. If that happens Nand Kishore Garg will be out of the race.