On the final day for filing nominations for the Delhi Assembly elections, many candidates from AAP, BJP, and Congress officially entered the electoral battle on Friday, including AAP's Patparganj candidate Awadh Ojha, BJP's Sangam Vihar candidate Chandan Kumar Choudhary, and Congress' Kasturba Nagar candidate Abhishek Dutt.
Ojha, a civil services tutor turned politician, offered prayers at a temple before filing his nomination papers. Excited about his first electoral contest, he expressed confidence in his ability to take on the BJP's powerful campaign machinery with AAP's developmental pitch. According to his election affidavit, Ojha has movable assets worth Rs 48.58 lakh, including Rs 1.5 lakh in cash and about Rs 10 lakh in jewelry. His wife has movable assets worth approximately Rs 60 lakh, including Rs 20 lakh in jewelry.
Additionally, AAP candidate Durgesh Pathak from Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency held a 'Jan Aashirvad Yatra' before filing his nomination. "Today, I am filing my nomination. I am thankful to Arvind Kejriwal for trusting me, and to the whole party. The people are saying they want to make Arvind Kejriwal their CM again. As for the BJP's manifesto, they release one every year, but it's just a collection of lies," he said.
A total of 11 candidates from the BJP also filed their nominations, including BJP's Greater Kailash candidate Shikha Rai and Mehrauli candidate Gajendra Yadav. Before filing her nomination, Shikha Rai said, "BJP is coming to power in Delhi, and we will secure victory from Greater Kailash." She had appeared in BJP's fourth list of candidates released the day before.
BJP's Mehrauli candidate, Gajendra Yadav, held a 'Vijay Sankalp Yatra' in the presence of Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur and New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj before filing his nomination. "Today, I have come to support Bhuvan Singh Tanwar for his nomination. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to him. Together, Bhuvan ji and I will bring a complete transformation to the Cantt Assembly constituency," said Swaraj.
Before filing his nomination, BJP candidate Chandan Kumar Choudhary from the Sangam Vihar constituency said, "I want to thank the party and inform everyone that in the Sangam Vihar region, 60% of the population is from Purvanchal. The party has placed its trust in me by making me a candidate."
In the assembly polls, the BJP is contesting from 68 seats, with one seat each allotted to its allies, Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). After filing his nomination from the reserved seat of Deoli Assembly, LJP (RV) candidate Deepak Tanwar said, "First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to our National President, Chirag Paswan, for entrusting a small worker like me with the responsibility of overseeing the Deoli Assembly. This has brought immense pride to our community. We want to assure our National President that the entire public is with us, and we stand firmly in support of his leadership."
Congress candidate from Kasturba Nagar Assembly constituency, Abhishek Dutt, also offered prayers before filing his nomination. "I thank the people of Kasturba Nagar. All the residents of Kasturba Nagar Assembly know that by voting for Abhishek Dutt, schemes for sewerage, water, and road repairs will be initiated, ensuring the welfare of everyone."
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police registered 244 cases of violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) between January 7 and January 16. A total of 9,558 people were arrested during this period under various provisions, including the Excise Act, according to a statement.