The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sealed the alliance with Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) for the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled on February 8, while seat-sharing discussion with its oldest ally, Shriomani Akali Dal, failed.
The BJP has given two seats to JD (U) and one to Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Monday said, “We have decided to give three seats to our allies. JDU will contest on two seats and LJP on one seat. BJP will announce candidates for the remaining 10 seats soon,” he told news agency ANI.
JD(U) will contest from Burari in Northwest Delhi and Sangam Vihar in South Delhi, while LJP will field its candidate from Seemapuri in east Delhi, said a senior BJP leader. Though the two parties are yet to announce their candidates, senior BJP leaders say, a BJP candidate will contest on JD(U) symbol from Sangam Vihar. Former BJP MLA from Sangam Vihar S C L Gupta is likely to contest from Sangam Vihar.
According to senior BJP leaders, JD (U) had demanded four assembly seats just like SAD (Badal), which has fought all the elections in Delhi in alliance with the BJP. An alliance with the JD(U), many in the party feel, will help the BJP to woo the Purvanchali community.
{{/usCountry}}According to senior BJP leaders, JD (U) had demanded four assembly seats just like SAD (Badal), which has fought all the elections in Delhi in alliance with the BJP. An alliance with the JD(U), many in the party feel, will help the BJP to woo the Purvanchali community.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP is going all out to reach out to the community. The centre’s decision to confer ownership rights to unauthorised colonies is also aimed at garnering the support of the community as a large percentage of it lives in these neighbourhoods. It was unauthorised colonies, which had played a crucial role in Aam Aadmi Party’s sterling victory in 2015 assembly elections in which it had won 67 out of 70 seats.