Delhi assembly polls 2015: Top 10 contests to watch out for

NEW DELHI: Now that the electoral battle for Delhi is well and truly on, with BJP declaring Kiran Bedi as its chief ministerial candidate and the top three parties announcing names of most of their candidates, here is a look at the 10 biggest contests in the upcoming assembly polls.

1. New Delhi

Arvind Kejriwal (AAP)
Kiran Walia (Congress)
Nupur Sharma (BJP)
All eyes will be on this seat on results day as Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal is contesting from the constituency where he defeated three-time Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit in the 2013 elections. Kejriwal has much to prove since his party drew a blank in Delhi in the subsequent Lok Sabha polls. With Dikshit opting out of the race, her former cabinet colleague and loyalist Kiran Walia has been fielded by Congress while former Delhi University students’ union president Nupur Sharma is BJP’s candidate.

2. Krishna Nagar

SK Bagga (AAP)
Bansi Lal (Congress)
Kiran Bedi (BJP)
BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi is contesting from this seat, which has long been nurtured by Union minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. Bedi, a political greenhorn, faces Congress’ sitting councillor Bansi Lal in the constituency that she needs to win to cement her claim to head the government in case of a BJP victory in Delhi.
3. Patparganj

Manish Sisodia (AAP)
Anil Kumar (Congress)
Vinod Kumar Binny (BJP)
AAP’s senior leader Manish Sisodia faces his former party colleague Vinod Kumar Binny, who had defeated Congress’ minister AK Walia from Laxmi Nagar constituency in the 2013 elections. Soon thereafter, Binny had rebelled against AAP and Kejriwal and he was expelled from the party a year ago. Now contesting as a BJP candidate, Binny is expected to give a tough challenge to Sisodia.
4. Mangolpuri

Rakhi Birla (AAP)
Raj Kumar Chauhan (Congress)
Surjeet (BJP)
AAP’s Dalit face, Rakhi Birla, faces former Delhi minister Raj Kumar Chauhan. Though she had defeated Chauhan in 2013, she had herself lost the Lok Sabha election against BJP’s Udit Raj. The upcoming polls will test her performance as an MLA as much as her party’s appeal.
5. Janakpuri

Rajesh Rishi (AAP)
Suresh Kumar (Congress)
Jagdish Mukhi (BJP)
Sitting MLA and senior BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi faces his son-in-law Suresh Kumar, who is contesting as a Congress candidate. AAP candidate Rishi had lost to Mukhi in 2013.
6. Malviya Nagar

Somnath Bharti (AAP)
Yoganand Shastri (Congress)
BJP candidate not declared
Outspoken and controversial former minister Somnath Bharti faces Dikshit loyalist and former Delhi minister Yoganand Shastri in Malviya Nagar. Though BJP has not declared its candidate yet, it will be interesting to see how the soft-spoken former Speaker and minister Shastri tackles Bharti in his home turf.