Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi to address rally in poll-bound Delhi on Jan 13

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi will address an election rally in Delhi on January 13 ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, said sources.

Notably, the Congress has released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Delhi polls.

Earlier, Congress announced 'Jeevan Raksha Yojana' in Delhi, promising to provide Rs 25 lakh health cover per family.

The announcement was made at a press conference by former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot here.

Gehlot termed the scheme a "game changer" in Delhi.

"We have given a lot of coverage to the health... 'Jeevan Raksha Yojana' of the Delhi government will be similar to 'Chiranjeevi Yojana' of the Rajasthan government...I am happy that I got the opportunity to launch this scheme here," the senior congress leader told reporters later.

"The health insurance scheme of Rajasthan has been very successful and in Delhi, we will do the same. It provides benefit to all whereas Ayushman Bharat has its limitations...," Gehlot added.

Aam Admi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday that the Delhi assembly elections will be a direct contest between the AAP and the BJP and not an election of the INDIA alliance.

"Delhi assembly election is between AAP and the BJP. It is not the election of the INDIA alliance. I wholeheartedly express my gratitude to all those parties for supporting us. Mamata Banerjee is supporting us. Akhilesh Yadav is supporting us. I have learnt through media that the (Uddhav) Thackeray ji's party is supporting us," Kejriwal told reporters.

The Delhi assembly polls will be held in a single phase on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8.

The last date for filing nominations is January 17. The date for scrutiny of nominations is January 18. While last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 20.

The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, The AAP eyeing a third term will go to the public boosting its 'performance' in the education and the health sector.

AAP won 62 out of the 70 seats in the 2020 assembly elections and BJP secured eight seats.