Congress candidate from Greater Kailash constituency and President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee is confident of wresting the seat from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Sharmistha, who filed her nomination papers on Wednesday, said there would be a direct contest between the Congress and the BJP, since the AAP has lost its ground in the Capital.
“Politics is a new field for me. I had certain hesitations and inhibitions before entering this challenging field but hoped that things would settle down. I now feel that I am quite comfortable with the nitty-gritty of this profession…There will be a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress in Greater Kailash constituency since AAP has lost its ground after 2013 Delhi Assembly elections and voters feel absolutely disgruntled with the party,” she said.
Refuting that there is a “Bedi wave” in Delhi, Sharmistha took a jibe at the BJP and said, “I am appalled at the fact that there is such a dearth of candidates in the BJP that the party had to announce as the CM candidate someone who joined the party a day before.”
She added that she is not “surprised” at Bedi joining the BJP. “Both Kejriwal and Bedi mocked political parties when they were part of the Anna Hazare movement, and now they are themselves part of the political system. However, I am glad that they finally understood the importance of the political system in India.”
Sharmistha claimed that as she is “well-versed” with Greater Kailash constituency she will win. Expressing confidence, she said, “I have been here since I was a child. I know this area quite well in terms of its problems.”
Talking about the local issues, Mukherjee said, “The issues ailing this constituency would be on my priority list. We will put up a civil redressal window. There is an issue of traffic congestion in certain areas of GK.” Security issues, establishing community RO water plants and ensuring the upgradation of basic amenities would also be looked after, she said.
Sharmistha dwelled on the piece of advice from her father before joining politics “hard work and patience”. “These are the only two things he advised me. His image is a help for me and attracts media glare but it all ends there. People should see the intent of the candidate,” she said.
“Had I been an opportunist, I would have joined politics long back,” she said. Referring to Congress’s slide in fortunes, she added, “Under present circumstances it might be a bad time for an opportunist to join politics but not for someone who wants to work.”