When the Congress top brass sits down to finalise candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi, it will face a unique proposition: Sitting MlAs and their relatives claiming over a dozen of seats (of the total 70 seats).
In all, 12 sitting Congress legislators have so far taken the application forms not just for themselves, but also for their sons/relatives. And it's not just the MlAs, a couple of MPs, besides a Union Minister, too are vying for seats for their relatives. Three BJP leaders are pitching to get tickets for their sons.
Sources in the Congress told The Pioneer that MlAs and MPs are lobbying senior leaders to let their children contest on behalf of them. Senior Congress MlA from Ambedkar Nagar Chaudhury Prem Singh's two sons — Pramod and Yudhvir — are also eyeing tickets either of Ambedkar Nagar or Deoli Assembly. West Delhi MP Mahabal Mishra's son Vinay Mahabal Mishra is seeking ticket of the Dwarka Assembly seat. Former MP Sajjan Kumar's son Jag Pravesh is trying for both Kirari as well as Sangam Vihar Assembly seats, which are considered a safe seat for Congress this time.
Union Minister Krishna Tirath's husband and daughter are also interested in the Sultanpur Mazra seat. Congress MlA Jaikishan won this seat thrice, while his wife Sushila Jaikishan won once. Former MlA Tajdar Babar's son Farhad Suri, who was Mayor of Delhi, is also trying to get a ticket for Jangpura. Tarvinder Singh Marwah is the sitting MlA from Jangpura seat. Former Union Minister Buta Singh's son Arvinder Singh lovely, who is a sitting MlA from Deoli is also lobbying hard to get a ticket this time. Four times MlA Mukesh Sharma's son Ankit Sharma is also trying for the Vikas Puri seat.
In BJP, three of former heavyweights' sons are in the queue for tickets in the coming Assembly polls. Former Union Minister and former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma's son Pravesh Verma is lobbying for Shalimar Bagh. Former BJP strongman Madan lal Khurana's son Vimal Khurana too, is lobbying for a ticket for Moti Nagar Assembly seat. Khurana's close aide Subhash Sachdeva had won the seat twice and is also hoping to get a ticket in the coming Assembly polls.
If BJP decides to give ticket to Vimal, Sachdeva would have to wither be accommodated elsewhere or vacate the seat. Khurana served as Delhi Chief Minister from 1993 to 1996. He was appointed Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism in the BJP-led NDA Government. He was removed from the party in August 2005 on grounds of indiscipline for his statements against then BJP president lK Advani. Khurana was later reinstated.
Former Delhi Chief Executive Councillor and leader of Opposition Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra's son Ajay is also trying to get a ticket for Greater Kailash constituency. Malhotra is an MlA from Greater Kailash. He may vacate his seat to accommodate his son. BJP MlA OP Babber is also trying to push his son Rajiv Babber for the Tilak Nagar seat. Babber won the Tilak Nagar seat thrice. Rajiv said that he has worked at the Tilak Nagar constituency and that's why he is trying for a ticket.
Former MP Dalip Singh is also lobbying for a ticket for his relatives that include former Mayor Jayashree Panwar, Nirmala Panwar, Major Rajnish Panwar, Sukhbir Panwar and Surender Panwar. Singh and his family members are seeking a ticket for the Greater Kailash seat. A relative of Yoganand Shastri is also in the queue for a ticket in the coming Assembly polls from the Palam Assembly seat.
Sources said that West Delhi MP Mahabal Mishra, Rajya Sabha MP Parvez Hashmi, former Delhi Assembly Speaker Chaudhary Prem Singh, former MP Sajjan Kumar, former MP Dalip Singh, party heavyweight Mukesh Sharma and Chandni Chowk MlA Prahlad Singh Sawhney, are among those who approached the Congress leadership for tickets for their sons and also obtained candidature form the Pradesh Headquarters. When asked, Mishra said that his son Vinay is working for the Dwarka constituency.
"Vinay had earlier worked in elections 2008 and 2009. Besides, he is general secretary of the Youth Congress," Mishra said. Congress leader Prem Singh refused to comment on the issue.
"The upcoming Assembly elections may see a number of young guns — children of sitting and former Delhi legislators and parliamentarians — seeking wins in contests from seats either represented or nurtured by their fathers," said a Congress leader. "Sajjan Kumar, Mahabal Mishra and Mukesh Sharma have already projected their sons as future leaders in political rallies in their respective areas," he said.