The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is betting on its trusted and young leaders in Delhi assembly election fray. Three of the four candidates fielded by the party this time are the ones who won the previous 2013 elections. The BJP did not touch its alliance partner SAD's quota, but cut down the number of seats it would contest on its party symbol — from two to just one. Akali Dal would contest elections on its party symbol, the 'weighing scale', from just one constituency — Rajouri Garden, while it will contest on the other three seats — Hari Nagar, Kalkaji and Shahdara — on BJP's symbol, the 'lotus'.
During the previous Assembly elections, the party had contested on its symbol from two Rajouri Garden and Hari Nagar Assembly segments, while remaining two — Kalkaji and Shahdara — on BJP's. "The decision to contest three seats on BJP symbol and one on SAD symbol had been taken with an aim to ensure maximum number of wins. It is a part of party's strategy. We are contesting in alliance," party's Delhi unit in-charge Balwant Singh Ramoowalia told The Pioneer.
"We are repeating the same candidates on three seats that we won on 2013 elections. Manjinder Singh Sirsa will contest from Rajouri Garden, Jatinder Singh Shanty from Shahdara, and Harmeet Singh Kalka from Kalkaji," Ramoowalia said. The party had lost Hari Nagar seat by a margin of 8,876 votes, from where it fielded Shyam lal Sharma, a BJP leader. He was replaced by party's senior leader and former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Avtar Singh Hit.
The final decision on names was taken on Tuesday during a meeting of SAD chief with the State party leadership, including State unit president and DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK, Ramoowalia, and party MP Naresh Gujral. Known for routing Sarnas from Delhi's Gurdwara Committee after their decades-long rule, SAD's Delhi unit general secretary and local youth president Sirsa would once again test himself from Rajouri Garden.