Delhi Assembly polls: Moti Nagar set to witness tough BJP-AAP battle

The Moti Nagar Assembly constituency, twice represented by first Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana and considered a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stronghold, was wrested by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the 2015 polls.

Riding the AAP wave, Shiv Charan Goel defeated BJP's Subhash Sachdeva, a three-time MLA from the seat, by 15,000 votes in 2015. Goel received 53 per cent votes and Sachdeva 39 per cent.

In the 2013 polls, under the leadership of Harsh Vardhan, Sachdeva had defeated Kuldeep Singh Channa (AAP). The BJP nominee had received 16 per cent more votes than the AAP candidate.

In 1993-2013, the seat remained with the BJP. Before Sachdeva, Khurana had represented the seat in 1993 and 2003. In 1998, it was won by BJP's Avinash Sahni as Khurana was elected to the Lok Sabha and made Tourism Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Between 1998 and 2013, despite being the ruling party, the Congress could not win the seat, dominated by Punjabi voters. Alka Lamba (Congress) also contested the seat in 2003 against Khurana.

Following Khurana' resignation after being named the Rajasthan's Governor, the BJP fielded Sachdeva in 2004.

The seat that falls in the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, comprises Sudarshan Park, Rajaouri Garden, Ramesh Nagar, Shardapuri, Kirti Nagar and Saraswati Garden. Of the 1.8 lakh voters, 1.02 lakh are males and 79,000 females.

Khurana's son Harish Khurana, also the Delhi BJP spokesperson, wants to contest the seat to take his father's legacy forward and has sought the ticket despite being ignored for Sachdeva earlier.

However, Harish is hopeful of getting the party ticket this year from the Moti Nagar seat.

Delhi will vote for the 70-member Assembly on February 8 and votes will be counted on February 11.