Lok Sabha elections 2019: Where novices take on veteran politician
AAP’s Raghav Chadha and Congress’ Vijender Singh are both contesting elections for the first time. BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri is the incumbent MP and a three-term MLA from Tughlaqabad.
Dressed in a bright green T-shirt and jeans, Tarun Tanwar swiped images on his mobile phone as a motorcade went past him in South Delhi’s Katwaria Sarai area Tuesday. Tanwar, 21, had just clicked a selfie with boxer Vijender Singh who was on a jeep at the centre of the motorcade. Till that point, Tanwar said he had no idea that Singh was the Congress candidate from South Delhi.
On Tuesday, Singh left his residence in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj with friends and supporters in a rally of five cars and some bikes and stopped at some places, including Katwaria Sarai and Ber Sarai, where he introduced himself as the Congress candidate to the people who had gathered to get a glimpse of the boxer. He filed his nomination on Tuesday.
Singh, 33, was born in Haryana. He is a professional boxer who had won a Bronze in the 2008 Olympics, a first by an Indian boxer.
When reporters pointed out that sportspersons don’t usually make good politicians, citing Sachin Tendulkar as an example, Singh responded: “If that is so, I will prove them wrong.”
Singh has no political background. “My father was a driver, grandfather was in the armed forces. But I have seen my own family do better under the Congress rule. The Congress has done so much for development, agriculture, jobs and sports… The BJP, on the other hand, is expert in twisting facts,” he said.
Singh’s main opponents are AAP’s Raghav Chadha and the BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri.
Although Chadha, a 31-year-old chartered accountant, is also contesting elections for the first time, he has been involved in politics for more than six years now. Bidhuri, 57, is the incumbent MP and a three-term MLA from Tughlaqabad.
AAP’s Delhi convener Gopal Rai said fielding Chadha against Bidhuri was part of a “personality oriented” strategy. He explained that while Bidhuri has an aggressive and harsh image, Chadha is soft and empathetic.
Chadha said safety of women and development related to them are a major concern and it is one area that all political parties have failed to identify. “I will work on that. Also, I will neither be scared, nor let any political person intimidate anyone,” he said.
Bidhuri, however, dismissed his competition. “People don’t consider personality or star quality when they elect a representative. They look at track record and your ability to deliver on promises,” he said.
Hundreds of people had joined a “padyatra” organised by the MP on Tuesday.