Rajouri Garden bypoll: Sidhu campaigns for Congress candidate

NEW DELHI: On the last day of campaign for the Rajouri Garden Assembly bypoll today, the Congress fielded cricketer-turned-Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu who hit out at the SAD-BJP candidate accusing him of spending "mafia money" in elections.

Accompanied by Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken, party candidate from Rajouri Garden seat Meenakshi Chandela, Sidhu participated in a roadshow seeking votes for the Congress.

"The ill-gotten money, acquired through drug mafia, transport mafia, cable mafia in Punjab, is being used in elections. He is their 'chela' (follower)," Sidhu alleged, referring to SAD-BJP candidate from Rajouri Garden Manjinder Singh Sirsa and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

He asserted that the Congress candidate is on a strong wicket and no force or "money power" can defeat her.

Delhi Congress chief Maken hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging that the party has "misused" the faith of the people of Delhi who had voted it to power by massive victory in 2015 Assembly elections.

"AAP came to power in Delhi with absolute majority but it has stalled all development works. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal squandered the hard-earned money of the taxpayers of Delhi for self-publicity and political gain in other states."

Congress candidate Meenakshi Chandela is pitted against SAD-BJP's Sirsa and AAP's Harjeet Singh in a three-cornered contest on the seat. Votes will be cast on April 9.

The seat fell vacant early this year after AAP's Jarnail Singh quit as MLA to contest the Punjab Assembly poll against SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal which he lost.