BJP’s New Delhi seat claimants come together

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Goel made a joint appearance with Delhi Mayor Arti Mehra to bury rumours of a rift between them. Atul Mathur reports.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Goel on Thursday made a joint appearance with Delhi Mayor Arti Mehra to bury rumours of a rift between them.

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Mehra had been keen on the New Delhi ticket but the party had allotted it to Goel.

Dismissing reports of factions and lack of support from party workers in the New Delhi area, Goel said 28 councillors and four MLAs from assembly segments in the New Delhi Lok Sabha area were working hard to help him win the election.

“I was in the race for the ticket but the party decided on his name. I have been his junior since the college days and even contested Delhi University Student Union election under him. I have always supported him in all his struggles for Delhi and I support him now too,” said Mehra.

Goel had lost the last Lok Sabha election from Sadar Bazar parliamentary constituency to Kapil Sibal in 2004. With Sadar Bazar seat deleted post-delimitation, Goel decided to contest from New Delhi because “it saw no development in the past five years”.