President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha will contest the forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections as a Congress candidate from the Greater Kailash constituency in South Delhi. Her name was among the 15 candidates in the third list released by the Congress on Thursday evening while former Delhi Ministers Mangat Ram Singhal and Ramakant Goswami have been denied tickets from Adarsh Nagar and Rajinder Nagar respectively. The Congress party’s third list includes 10 new faces who will contest Assembly polls first time.
The announcement of Sharmistha Mukherjee’s name from Greater Kailash has made this seat high profile as former Delhi Transport Minister of AAP Government Saurabh Bhardwaj too is contesting. Sharmistha has started campaigning in the constituency at a blistering pace. She has already covered two rounds of door-to-door campaigning in the constituency. The South Delhi seat of Greater Kailash is known to be a BJP stronghold where AAP won the last elections. The party has not announced its candidate for much speculated New Delhi seat where AAP convener Kejriwal is contesting.
The Congress list include Praveen Kumar from Narela, Mukesh Goel from Adarsh Nagar, Jagdish Yadav from Rithala, Chaman lal Sharma from Shakur Basti, CP Mittal from Hari Nagar, Madan Mohan Dass from Palam, Brahm Yadav from Rajendra Nagar, Sharmistha Mukherjee from Greater Kailash, Bansi lal from Krishna Nagar and Rinku from Gokulpuri reserved seat who will contest Assembly election first time. The party has also nominated former MlA Vipin Sharma from Rohtas Nagar, Veer Singh Dhingan from Seemapuri, Malaram Gangwal from Madipur, Anil Kumar from Patparganj and Rajesh lilothia from Patel Nagar seat.
According to third list of Congress, Praveen Kumar who had won the MCD election on BSP ticket has been nominated from Narela. leader of Opposition of North Municipal Corporation of Delhi Mukesh Goel has been nominated from Adarsh Nagar seat while the party has denied ticket to former Delhi Minister Mangat Ram Singhal this time. Jagdish Yadav, who was the former Delhi OBC Commission chairman, nominated from Rithala. Bansi lal is the sitting MCD councillor. Rinku, who has nominated from Gokulpuri seat, is the daughter of former Congress MlA Roopchand. Brahm Yadav, who has been nominated from Rajendra Nagar, had earlier contested assembly and MCD polls as an Independent candidate and lost.