Anshita Mehra
New Delhi, May 3
Praveen Khandelwal, BJP’s candidate for the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, submitted his nomination papers on Friday, marking the completion of the nominations of all seven BJP candidates in Delhi ahead of the LS elections on May 25. Just hours prior to this, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, BJP candidate from South Delhi, also filed his nomination.
“I am confident of winning the seat by a record margin,” Khandelwal said before filing his nomination.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal and current MP Harsh Vardhan rallied in support of Khandelwal. The procession, starting from the ancient Gauri Shankar Temple, witnessed over 2,500 party workers marching from the Chandni Chowk main road to Fatehpuri Chowk and then to Old Delhi Railway Station, to the sound of conch-blowing, drum-beating and band-playing.
Ahead of submitting his papers at the Alipur election office, Khandelwal affirmed his commitment to fulfil promises made in the recently released manifesto for Chandni Chowk residents and traders by 2027.
Khandelwal, facing veteran Congress leader JP Agarwal in the constituency, acknowledged Agarwal’s experience but criticised the state of the Congress. He remarked, “While I respect Agarwal’s political background, the Congress’ current state is severely weakened. They appear to be playing a subordinate role to a relatively young, 10-year-old party in the Capital.”
Vardhan emphasised BJP’s organisational strength, stating, “Each candidate is a symbol of the organisation. We will ensure the victory of Khandelwal.”
Goyal urged voters to elect Khandelwal to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the country’s development.
Meanwhile, Bidhuri, who was accompanied by Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, BJP’s national secretary Alka Gurjar and Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, emphasised the grassroots nature of BJP’s electoral campaign, stating, “The BJP’s candidates are not fighting the election; the people of Delhi have taken the election into their own hands, and the people of Delhi are choosing BJP candidates.”
The nomination rally, spanning from Lado Sarai to the DM office in Saket, reverberated with chants of ‘Ek baar phir Modi sarkar’ and ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Supporters, bedecked in vibrant traditional attire, echoed their allegiance to the BJP as they danced and chanted along the route. Notable was the diverse representation, with participants donning attire from various regions, symbolising the party’s inclusive appeal.
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