Both BJP, AAP claim they will win Delhi battle (Roundup)

Soon after the cabinet recommended the dissolution of the Delhi assembly, both the BJP and the AAP Tuesday claimed they were confident of winning the fresh elections.

But Bharatiya Janata Party's Delhi unit president Satish Upadhyay said his party -- unlike in the December 2013 election -- would not project a chief ministerial candidate.

"It's too early to talk about the CM candidate. The party will decide at the right time and will choose a leader through a democratic process," he said, adding quickly that he was not in the race for the post.

Upadhyay said the BJP would repeat its winning streak in Maharashtra and Haryana in Delhi too.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal meanwhile accused the BJP of spreading communal poison in Delhi and said his party would bring together eminent religious leaders to combat this.

The former chief minister also insisted that the AAP would win a majority in the upcoming election in the capital.

"We will win in Delhi no matter how hard the BJP tries."

Upadhyay and Kejriwal spoke a day after Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung was told by all three major parties in Delhi -- the BJP, AAP and Congress -- that said they favoured fresh elections.

Kejriwal said the AAP was confident of winning more than 45 of the 70 seats in Delhi -- up from the 28 it bagged in 2013, leading then to a hung house.

After the BJP with 31 seats refused to form a government, the AAP took power with the backing of the Congress. But the government collapsed in 49 days, leading to political uncertainty.

Kejriwal said the AAP would seek votes on three key issues: its achievements during its 49-day rule, a corruption-free Delhi and making the capital one of the world's best cities.

Asked if he could take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AAP leader said Delhi's voters would have to choose between him (Kejriwal) and BJP's Jagdish Mukhi for the chief minister's post.

"Will Modi resign as prime minister and contest for the chief ministership of Delhi?"

Upadhyay said: "Our MLAs are ready for fresh elections and we will fight under a collective leadership... We will repeat our performance of Haryana and Maharashtra."

He said the BJP's main plank would be "good governance".

Kejriwal and his colleagues attacked the BJP for delaying the elections all these months and accused it of using "unfair means" to install a BJP government in Delhi.

The capital has been under President's rule since Feb 17.

Earlier Tuesday, the union cabinet recommended the dissolution of the Delhi assembly, paving the way for a fresh electoral contest.

The BJP and the Congress have traditionally held sway in Delhi. This changed last year when the AAP contested the assembly elections and pulled off a stunning performance winning 28 seats.

In comparison to the BJP's 31 seats, the Congress got just eight seats.

This year, the BJP won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the capital. The AAP finished second in all the places. The Congress either finished third or fourth.