NEW DELHI: With Rajendra Nagar assembly constituency bypoll scheduled for June 23, the Delhi unit of the BJP and the AAP have started the process for candidate selection and outreach programs to start their campaign from May end.
The bypoll date for the seat was announced by the Election Commission on Wednesday. The seat fell vacant after sitting MLA Raghav Chadha resigned after being elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab earlier this year.
According to senior BJP leaders, the candidate selection is put on “fast track”, as nominations for the bypoll will begin from May 30. “Names of party heavyweights from the area including RP Singh, party’s national spokesperson, who has won the seat once, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta, party’ vice-president Rajan Tiwari, former councillor from the area Rajesh Bhatia are in the fray,” said an official.
Party leaders said that their ‘Pol Khol’ campaign — where party leaders will go door to door — against their rival AAP will mark an informal start to the campaign. “Senior party leaders such as Bijayant Panda are likely to join the campaign. We have been working on the ground for the same and a meeting was held to discuss poll preparations,” the BJP leader said.
Another party functionary said that the party will raise issues of water scarcity in the area, which has been a major problem for residents. Meanwhile, the AAP is likely to field Durgesh Pathak, who was also made the party’s in-charge for the bypoll. He has been vocal and has been running an anti-BJP campaign. AAP leaders said that they have been working in the constituency for a long period. They also plan to raise the issue of anti-encroachment drives in the city.