Battlelines are drawn as Delhi goes to polls for seven Lok Sabha seats on Monday. The BJP, which swept 7-0 in the 1999 polls, faces a strong challenge from the Congress that is expected to wrest back several seats this time.
But in the absence of a perceivable wave in any one party's favour, the fight for each seat is a keen affair and political analysts expect some close finishes.
BJP heavyweights vying to be re-elected include Jagmohan, who is engaged in a tough battle with Ajay Maken of the Congress in New Delhi. The fight for this seat is not just on the basis of past performance and promises, it's also got a lot to do with image. Maken has been driving home his age advantage during the campaign, trying to get the young voter on his side. Jagmohan has been telling people of his performance as area MP.
Another keen contest is in East Delhi, where chief minister Sheila Dikshit's son Sandeep Dikshit is going all out to unseat the BJP's Lal Bihari Tiwari. Dikshit's high-profile campaign has seen a massive mobilisation of Delhi ministers and legislators to ensure that the Congress wins here for the first time since 1989.
In South Delhi, the Congress made concerted efforts to shore up support after the delay in announcing R.K. Anand as its candidate. BJP's V.K. Malhotra is banking on mobilisation of voters and the local issues he has raised during his campaign to work in his favour.
{{/usCountry}}In South Delhi, the Congress made concerted efforts to shore up support after the delay in announcing R.K. Anand as its candidate. BJP's V.K. Malhotra is banking on mobilisation of voters and the local issues he has raised during his campaign to work in his favour.
{{/usCountry}}Chandni Chowk has seen a colourful campaign with Smriti Irani's popularity as TV character Tulsi drawing crowds for the BJP. But the Congress appears to be on a strong wicket. Kapil Sibal's campaign received a shot in the arm after Shoiab Iqbal of the JD(U) decided not to contest — a move that is likely to see mobilisation of Muslim votes in favour of the Congress.
In Outer Delhi, sitting BJP candidate Sahib Singh Verma is facing a strong challenge from former MP Sajjan Kumar. The sprawling constituency has seen the two in a do-or-die battle for vote blocks in unauthorised colonies and villages.
Karol Bagh is another seat where the Congress feels it is in with a chance to win. The BJP has worked at changing the perception in the last phase of campaigning, with top party leaders like L.K. Advani canvassing for party candidate Anita Arya.
The BJP is banking on the Vajpayee magic to work for it again. In the last leg of campaigning, party candidates tried to drive home the stability factor, saying voting for them meant voting for a stable Centre.
The Congress is hoping voters to be as responsive as it was in the assembly polls.
Moti Nagar will also be voting for the assembly by-election. Subhash Sachdeva (BJ)) and Shriram Mago (Congress) are battling it out for the seat vacated by Madan Lal Khurana.
A candidate’s Man Friday
Candidates can't possibly do the rounds of all polling stations in a constituency. This is why “poll agents” come in.
An agent is one who can be a substitute for the candidate. To be an election agent, one needs to carry an authorisation letter, signed by Delhi's chief electoral officer. The candidate himself has to forward the name to the EC. The agent is usually a low-key party functionary.
HTC