NEW DELHI: With BJP replacing four sitting MPs in the city for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday alleged that it is a “recurrent pattern” of the saffron party of fielding “incompetent candidates” and later staging a “theatric” over the candidate change.
“BJP has formed a pattern, first to give tickets to anyone in the elections. If they (candidates) accidentally win, then run away from people and work, and after five years, fool the voters by telling them that it was not the party,but the candidate who is responsible,” Delhi cabinet minister Atishi said in a press conference.
Barring North East Delhi, where the BJP has named Manoj Tiwari for a third term, the saffron party has fielded new faces from four constituencies—New Delhi (Swaraj), West Delhi (Kamaljeet Sehrawat), South Delhi (Ramvir Singh Bidhuri) and Chandni Chowk (Praveen Khandelwal).
The BJP is yet to name its candidates for East Delhi, represented by cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir, and North West Delhi, where Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans is the sitting MP.
Attacking Bansuri Swaraj, who is the daughter of late BJP leader and union minister Sushma Swaraj and advocate by profession, Atishi said, “Bansuri has repeatedly defended fugitive Lalit Modi in court, who has fled the country after embezzling lakhs of crores of rupees.”
“When violence occurred in Manipur, and two women were stripped and paraded, Bansuri stood for the Centre in the top court. In Chandigarh Mayoral election case, she stood for the BJP candidate in the apex court,” she added.
Voters will give them befitting reply: Bansuri Swaraj
Hitting back over the AAP allegations, BJP’s New Delhi Lok Sabha seat candidate Bansuri Swaraj questioned the former on its choice of candidate. Without naming the leader, she said, “I would like to ask the AAP -- why have you fielded a candidate who was beaten up by his cadre in Rajendra Nagar yesterday (Saturday)”.
“They have named a candidate who his party members do not like. They can put allegations against us, but people will give them a reply in the elections,” she said. Over her selection, Bansuri said, “I am feeling very grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah ji. I want to thank every BJP leader for giving me an opportunity.” “This time again, with the resolve of the Modi government, BJP will win the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat, and Modiji will be elected as the PM for the third time,” she added.