Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he would contest Delhi Assembly polls against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit from the same constituency where she would file her nomination.
At a convention of AAP workers to decide from where he will contest in the November elections, Kejriwal also chose to attack BJP, saying the party fielded weak candidates against Dikshit in the previous polls and challenged Vijay Goel to contest against him and Dikshit. He said he wished to contest from New Delhi constituency and take on Dikshit directly in the electoral contest.
"If she decides to avoid such a contest in New Delhi constituency out of fear and move to another, I will also move to that seat," he said. However, the final ratification of Kejriwal's candidature will come after a process, which includes collecting 100 signatures from people in constituency and interviews with screening committee and Political Affairs Committee of AAP. In 1998, Dikshit defeated BJP candidate Kirti Azad in Gole Market seat by a margin of 5,667 votes after garnering 24,881 votes. Five years later, she defeated Poonam Azad by 12,935 votes after polling 25,156.
After delimitation exercise, Gole Market seat became defunct and she moved to New Delhi seat, which has most localities in the previous seat. Dikshit has won from the seat defeating BJP's Vijay Jolly by 13,982 votes after polling 39,778 votes. Kejriwal said people do not see the BJP as a party which can defeat Congress anymore.
Alleging that BJP was playing 'already fixed' match with Congress in Delhi, he said, "People have realised that BJP deliberately fields weak candidates against the Chief Minister.