Arvind Kejriwal In Clear Lead From New Delhi Assembly Constituency

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal is looking to make a comeback for a third term in the 2020 Delhi Assembly Elections from the New Delhi assembly constituency in the capital. 

Kejriwal is leading by a large margin against BJP’s Sunil Yadav, which is likely to lead to a clear win. 

Congress candidate Romesh Sabharwal and BSP candidate Ramgulam are also in fray. 

While 668 candidates are in fray for the Delhi elections, 28 of them (the highest from any constituency) are contesting against Kejriwal. 

Huffpost India’s Piyasree Dasgupta spoke to 9 people who attempted to file their nominations from the CM’s constituency but were rejected. All of them insisted that they wanted to fight elections of their own volition, and their act was a protest against the Delhi government as well as other political parties.

In the 2015 Assembly polls, Kejriwal had won from the New Delhi constituency against BJP’s Nupur Sharma and Congress candidate Kiran Walia. Kejriwal had won 57,213 votes. 

The 2015 Delhi elections were held after over a year of President’s rule in Delhi after Kejriwal’s dramatic resignation from power after holding office for only 49 days. AAP had formed a minority government in Delhi after winning 28 seats in the 2013 Delhi Assembly Elections — the first-ever elections contested by the party. 

Kejriwal’s success the first time around, and AAP being elected to power with a thumping majority of 67 out of 70 seats had left many baffled. 

A Ramon Magsaysay award winner, Kejriwal formally launched AAP in November 2012. He won his first election beating three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit from New Delhi. 

The BJP, which had managed to win only three seats in the 2015 elections, has claimed that it will win the Delhi elections this time around. BJP candidate Yadav has said he will defeat Kejriwal with a margin of 25,000 votes.

The New Indian Express quoted him as saying , “When Kejriwal came here (New Delhi) to fight, people thought he would listen to them. But after five years, he has become a high-profile politician.”