AMN / NEW DELHI
BJP has fielded former cricketer Gautam Gambhir from East Delhi Lok Sabha seat while Meenakshi Lekhi has been pitted again from New Delhi Parliamentary constituency.
Gambhir has replaced Maheish Girri as the party’s candidate and will take on Arvinder Singh Lovely of the Congress and Atishi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Ms Lekhi is pitted against AAP’s Brajesh Goel and Ajay Maken of the Congress.
On Monday, the BJP had released a list of five candidates in which it re-nominated four of its sitting lawmakers in the national capital that has seven Lok Sabha seats.
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan and BJP state unit president Manoj Tiwari have been fielded in Chandni Chowk and North East Delhi seats respectively.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Saheb Singh Verma’s son Parvesh Verma has been fielded in West Delhi and Ramesh Bidhuri in South Delhi.
Gambhir, a retired international cricketer, had joined the BJP last month. “I have been influenced by the PM, his vision for the country. This is a fabulous platform for me to do something for the country,” Gautam Gambhir, 37, had said after joining the party.
Earlier in the day, putting an end to the possibility of an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress declared six candidates for Delhi.
Former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will contest from North East Delhi, Ajay Maken from New Delhi, Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi, JP Agarwal from Chandni Chowk, Arvinder Singh Lovely from East Delhi and Rajesh Lilothia from North West Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party has already declared the names of its candidates for all the seats.
Polling will be held in the national capital in the sixth phase on May 12.