Kejriwal to contest against Sheila in Delhi polls

Kejriwal said he wished to contest from New Delhi constituency and take on Dikshit directly in the electoral contest

Arvind Kejriwal today set the ball rolling for a direct electoral fight with Sheila Dikshit in the coming Delhi Assembly elections, choosing to contest from the constituency where the Delhi Chief Minister will file nomination.  At a convention of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, Kejriwal also chose to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying the party fielded weak candidates against Dikshit in the previous polls. He challenged city BJP head Vijay Goel to contest against him and Dikshit.  “If she decides to avoid such a contest out of fear and move to another, I will also move to the seat from where she is contesting,” he said, after the workers suggested he fight against the chief minister.

However, the final ratification of Kejriwal’s candidature will come after a process which includes collecting 100 signatures from people in the constituency and interviews with a screening committee and Political Affairs Committee of AAP.  “Why have we chosen to take on Dikshit? Delhi wants to get rid of Dikshit because she has become the symbol of corruption,” he alleged.

Kejriwal said people no more see the BJP as a party which can defeat Congress.

“Only AAP can defeat the Congress in Delhi in the coming assembly elections. BJP and Congress have indulged in match-fixing in the last 15 years. BJP is hand in glove with Dikshit. Hence, only AAP can defeat Congress in Delhi,” he claimed.

 

Asked by some party workers as to why Kejriwal was not contesting against Goel, party leader Kumar Vishwas sarcastically said, "Bofors are not used to kill mosquitoes".

 

"Since the BJP has lost assembly elections held in the past 15 years, its name is already out of the political scenario of Delhi. BJP is out of Delhi's political scene. And AAP is the new entrant," said Vishwas.

 

Lawyer and AAP leader Prashant Bhushan also supported the decision of Kejriwal contesting against Dikshit, saying that the leader, who has become "symbol" of current political system should be taken head-on in her own constituency.

 

"If we want to change the political system of the country, we will field Kejriwal opposite the personality, who is symbol of this political system," said Bhushan.