BJP’s bet on its first-time candidates for the lok Sabha polls in Delhi proved right as all of them secured comfortable victory from their respective constituencies.
Barring Ramesh Bidhuri and popular Bhojpuri film star Manoj Tiwari, no other BJP candidate had the experience of parliamentary elections while four of them are new to any form of electoral politics. While Vardhan had contested Delhi Assembly elections successfully five times, Bidhuri succeeded as a legislator for the first time in 2003.
With capturing the historical Chandni Chowk seat, Delhi BJP president has achieved a feat of being unbeatable so far in elections. Bidhuri, a Gujjar had earlier contested the 2009 lok Sabha polls and lost to Ramesh Kumar. The other five - prominent lawyer and a vocal BJP spokesperson Meenakshi lekhi, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, spiritual leader Maheish Girri and Dalit leader Udit Raj participated as debutants in Parliament polls 2014 as BJP candidates. Vardhan, who was anointed as party’s Chief Ministerial candidate in December 2013 Assembly elections has been winning Krishna Nagar Assembly seat since 1993. BJP leader, a doctor by profession has served as Health Minister, law Minister and Education Minister in the Delhi Government during BJP’s rule (1993-98).
Bidhuri, a law graduate has served his party in various capacity and first time elected as a legislator in 2003 from Tughlakabad. New Delhi MP, lekhi, a Supreme Court lawyer comes from an eminent family. Her husband Aman lekhi is also senior lawyer. Her father-in-law, Pran Nath lekhi, was one of India’s leading lawyers. BJP’s MP from North-East Delhi Tiwari has earlier contested elections for the 15th lok Sabha as a candidate for the Samajwadi Party in the Gorakhpur constituency but he had lost.
Maheish Girri has been associated with Art of living foundation and was its former International Director. He quit the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement over differences with Arvind Kejriwal, and subsequently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was born and brought up in Nashik.
Parvesh Verma (West Delhi MP) is the son of the former Chief Minister of Delhi Sahib Singh Verma, an influential Jat-BJP leader. Verma won Mehrauli Assembly seat in 2013 elections. Udit Raj, who clinched North-West Delhi seat from Congress was in Indian Revenue Service.
In 2003, he declared his resignation from the Indian Government service and formed a political party namely Indian Justice Party. He is a prominent activist working on behalf of India’s Dalits. He has joined BJP this year.