Lok Sabha elections: Congress hoping to win at least 2-3 seats in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Going by the electoral arithmetic of the Delhi Assembly election results, Congress is trailing in all seven Lok Sabha constituencies it won last time. So, the big question is whether the Delhi Congress can retrieve lost ground.

The Congress leaders feel there are some developments since the assembly polls to believe its prospects would not be as bad it was in December.

The surprisingly lacklustre selection of BJP candidates and perceived meltdown of AAP appeal after the abrupt resignation of Arvind Kejriwal government among a section of Delhiites, give Delhi Congress some hope.

The party thinks it has an edge in two constituencies. In New Delhi, Congress circles feel BJP’s Meenkashi Lekhi and AAP’s Ashish Khetan are too amateurs to take on the entrenched Ajay Maken.

They also think former PCC chief Jai Prakash Agarwal from North east Delhi may have an upper hand over BJP’s Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tiwari and AAP’s Anand Kumar.

The Chandni Chowk and East Delhi seats have been rated as `borderline cases’. Congress thinks Sri Sri Ravishankar-recommended BJP candidate Maheish Girri lacks acceptability among local leaders of the saffron party and it has made the fight between Sandeep Dikhsit and AAp’s Raj Mohan Gandhi fight. They also feel Kapil Sibal and BJP rival Harsh Vardhan are slugging it out in Chandi Chowk, leaving AAP’s Ashutosh behind.

The sitting MP from South Delhi, Ramesh Kumar, is seen to be on a tricky wicket against BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri and AAP’s Devender Sehrawat.

AAP’s Rakhi Birla is reportedly giving Congress’ sitting MP Krishna Tirath a tough time in North West (SC) seat. Congress leaders also feel Mahabal Mishra is facing testing time against BJP’s Pravesh Verma as well West Delhi.