MCD bypolls: AAP, Congress, BJP announce candidates

New Delhi [India], November 10 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday announced their candidates for Delhi Municipal Corporation by-elections to be held on November 30.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that his candidates were selected after extensive discussions.
"We have ensured that the candidates are selected based on merit and winnability criteria. Based on our work in the Central, State, and MCD governments, we will win with a landslide victory," Sachdeva said.
Eight of the BJP's candidates are women. The BJP's Jaipal Singh Saral will contest from Mundka, Anita Jain from Shalimar Bagh B, Veena Asija from Ashok Vihar, Suman Kumar Gupta from Chandni Chowk, Sunil Sharma from Chandni Mahal, Manisha Rajpal Sehrawat from Dwarka B, and Rekha Rani from Dhichaon Kalan.
Other BJP candidates in the list include Chandrakanta Shivani (Naraina), Rohini Raj (Dakshinpuri), Subhrajeet Gautam (Sangam Vihar A), Anjum Mandal (Greater Kailash) and Sarla Chaudhary (Vinod Nagar), according to a party statement.
In the Congress's candidate list, five are women.
Congress' Mukesh will contest from Mundka, Sarita Kumari from Shalimar Bagh-B, Vishakha Rani from Ashok Vihar, Ajay Kumar Jain from Chandni Chowk, Kunwar Shehzad Ahmed from Chandni Mahal, Sumita Malik from Dwarka-B, Rashmi Sharma from Dichau Kalan, Manoj Tanwar from Naraina, Suresh Choudhary from Sangam Vihar-A, Vikram from Dakshin Puri, Shikha Kapur from Greater Kailash, and Vinay Shankar Dubey from Vinod Nagar.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said that the people's mandate would shatter the arrogance of those in power and ensure a historic victory for Congress.
"Heartiest congratulations and best wishes for victory to all Congress candidates declared today for the MCD by-elections. The people of Delhi, weary of the misgovernance, unfulfilled promises, and empty rhetoric of the BJP-AAP, are looking to Congress with great confidence and hope," Devender Yadav said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party also announced its candidates for the bypolls. For AAP, the bypoll holds significant political importance as it presents a major test for the party to gauge the public mood following its electoral setback in the Assembly election earlier this year.
The AAP's Ram Swaroop Kanojia will contest from Dakshin Puri, Anuj Sharma from Sangam Vihar A, and Eeshna Gupta from Greater Kailash. Geeta Rawat has been named AAP candidate from Vinod Nagar, while Babita Ahlawat will contest from Shalimar Bagh B.
Seema Vikas Goel has been fielded from Ashok Vihar, Harsh Sharma from Chandni Chowk, and Muddasir Usman Qureshi from Chandni Mahal. Rajbala Sehrawat will contest from Dwarka B, Anil Lakra from Mundka, Rajan Arora from Naraina, and Keshav Chauhan from Dichao Kalan.
The last date of filing of nominations is November 10, and the scrutiny of papers will take place on November 12. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is November 15.
The BJP held nine of the 12 wards earlier, and AAP councillors represented the remaining three. Rekha Gupta represented the Shalimar Bagh-B ward, which she relinquished after winning the Assembly polls earlier this year, and subsequently became Delhi's chief minister. (ANI)