The upcoming Delhi assembly election promises an intense battle as the BJP announced its first list of 29 candidates including former MPs and ministers such as Parvesh Verma, Ramesh Bidhuri, Raaj Kumar Anand, and Arvinder Singh Lovely. These candidates will challenge the ruling AAP heavyweights, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi, while Congress’s former MP Sandeep Dikshit has also entered the fray.

The election is shaping up to be a triangular contest. After much anticipation, the BJP’s first list, released on Saturday, reveals that Parvesh Verma will contest from the New Delhi seat against Kejriwal and Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit. Ramesh Bidhuri will take on Atishi and Alka Lamba in Kalkaji constituency.

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Kailash Gahlot, a former Delhi minister who recently joined the BJP after leaving AAP, has been fielded from Bijwasan seat. Raaj Kumar Anand will contest from the Patel Nagar (SC) seat.

Notably, AAP chief Kejriwal, who has represented the New Delhi constituency since 2013, faces stiff competition this time from Verma and Dikshit, both former parliamentarians and sons of popular former Chief Ministers of Delhi.

Dynamic Sikh leader and BJP stalwart Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa has been fielded from Rajouri Garden constituency, while Gahlot is contesting from South-West Delhi’s Bijwasan seat.

Other key BJP candidates include Adarsh Nagar – Raj Kumar Bhatia, Badli -Deepak Chaudhary, Rithala – Kulwant Rana, Nangloi Jat – Manoj Shokeen, Mangolpuri – Raj Kumar Chauhan, Rohini – Vijender Gupta, Shalimar Bagh – Rekha Gupta, Model Town – Ashok Goel, Karol Bagh (SC) – Dushyant Kumar Gautam, Janakpuri – Ashish Sood, Jangpura -Sardar Tarvinder Singh Marwah, Malviya Nagar – Satish Upadhyay, RK Puram – Anil Sharma, and Mehrauli – Gajainder Yadav.

The other candidates are: from Chhatarpur – Kartar Singh Tanwar, Ambedkar Nagar (SC) -Khushi Ram Chunar, Badarpur – Narayan Dutt Sharma, Patparganj – Ravinder Singh Negi, Vishwas Nagar – Om Prakash Sharma, Krishna Nagar – Dr Anil Goyal, Seemapuri (SC) -Kumari Rinku, Rohtas Nagar – Jitender Mahajan, and Ghonda – Ajay Mahawar.

Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva expressed confidence in the list, stating that it offers a mix of experienced leaders and young talent, including former parliamentarians. He emphasized that the BJP provides a credible alternative in Delhi, presenting the vision of a “double-engine government.”