Delhi polls: BJP pacifies 4-time MLA over Kapil Mishra's ticket allocation

BJP's sitting MLA from Karawal Nagar Mohan Singh Bisht objected to the party's decision to replace him with Kapil Mishra and threatened to turn rebel

Mohan Singh Bisht, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) sitting MLA from Karawal Nagar, has criticised the party's decision to replace him with controversial leader Kapil Mishra for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The BJP later fielded Bisht from Mustafabad seat after he threatened to file nomination as an independent from Karawal Nagar.

 

Bisht, a five-time MLA, described Kapil Mishra's candidature as a "big mistake" and warned of potential losses for the party in key constituencies. “The BJP thinks they will field anyone, and he will win. This is a big mistake. Only time will tell what happens in seats like Karawal Nagar, Burari, Ghonda, and others. I will file my nomination from the Karawal Nagar seat before January 17,” Bisht told news agency ANI on Sunday, December 12.

 

Bisht said the decision challenges his Uttarakhandi community and predicted that the BJP could lose 8-10 seats due to the move. “You have challenged the 'samaj' (his Uttarakhandi community), not Mohan Singh Bisht. The BJP will lose at least 8-10 seats because of this decision, including Karawal Nagar, Burari, Mustafabad and Gokalpuri,” he warned.

 

Shortly after Bisht threatened to file nomination from Karawal Nagar, the BJP fielded him from Mustafabad constituency. He will face Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Adil Ahmad Khan and Congress's Ali Mehndi on the seat.

Kapil Mishra congratulates Mohan Bisht

 

Kapil Mishra congratulated Bisht after his nomination from Mustafabad. “Hearty congratulations and greetings to respected elder brother Mohan Singh Bisht ji on being made the BJP candidate from Mustafabad Assembly,” he tweeted.

 

Mishra, known for his controversial statements, was earlier with the AAP. He defeated Bisht in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, ending the latter's four-term streak as Karawal Nagar MLA.

 

So far, the BJP has named candidates on 60 out of the 70 assembly seats.

 

BJP faces tough battle

The BJP faces stiff competition in Delhi, where the AAP secured a landslide victory in 2020, winning 62 out of 70 seats. The BJP managed only eight seats.  The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 years, has suffered significant setbacks in the last two assembly elections, failing to win any seat.

 

Delhi elections: Key dates

The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, with results to be declared on February 8. Key deadlines include:

 

Last date for nominations: January 17

 

Scrutiny of nominations: January 18

 

Last date for withdrawal: January 20

 

(With inputs from agencies)