Roadshows by AAP’s Durgesh Pathak. Praveen KhannaDurgesh Pathak, Rajesh Bhatia, and Prem Lata, the candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Congress respectively, filed their nominations Monday for the Rajinder Nagar bypoll. The seat had fallen vacant after area MLA Raghav Chadha was nominated by the AAP to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.
The bypoll will be held on June 23.
As per their submitted affidavits, AAP’s Pathak is the only one of the three to have a pending criminal case against him for defamation. He has declared moveable assets worth Rs 6.77 lakh and has no immovable assets.
Congress’ Lata has declared moveable assets of Rs 6.95 lakh and also doesn’t have any immovable assets. Her spouse’s moveable assets have been declared at Rs 4.38 lakh. He also has inherited assets worth Rs 44 lakh.
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Meanwhile, BJP’s Bhatia is the richest of all candidates by a huge margin, with moveable assets worth Rs 2.08 crore, and various immovable assets totalling up to Rs 15.7 crore. His wife too has moveable assets worth Rs 2.08 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 44 lakh. Bhatia’s son’s moveable assets have been declared as Rs 69.5 lakh.
BJP’s Rajesh Bhatia in Rajinder Nagar on Monday. The bypoll will be held on June 23. Praveen Khanna In terms of educational qualifications, Pathak has an MA in English from Allahabad University in 2010. Bhatia’s highest educational qualification is Class XII from Sindhi Boys Senior Secondary School in Rajinder Nagar, while Lata’s is Class VII from Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Chhawla.
After filing his nominations, Pathak said, “I am overjoyed to have filed my nomination for the Rajinder Nagar by-election. The AAP is ready and looking forward to it. During the roadshow, people of Rajinder Nagar showed their overwhelming support, and engaged with enthusiasm. Everyone was looking at us with a great deal of optimism in their eyes because they believe in the AAP. Hence, I have made up my mind to work tirelessly to ensure that the citizens of Rajinder Nagar are safe, no matter what. I assure the residents that I will work as if your suffering were my own. With your help, we’ll soon be able to raise the flag of victory.”
Bhatia said the enthusiasm among people of the area was proof that the AAP will be wiped out this time from here. “The way Raghav Chadha left this constituency; people here are still suffering on that account. Wherever their leaders go for campaigning they are facing the ire of the people. Delhiites are now in anger over acute water crisis,” he said.
Lata said: “As the only female candidate, safety and security of girls is my first priority… There is also no drinking water (here). AAP has been here for eight years, come see if there are any roads built here. I invite anyone to come and show me any work done here.”
The Indian Express had visited several localities in the Assembly constituency and found that water and sewage issues are on top of voters’ minds.
The BJP is upbeat about its chances as the last two by-elections have made the public apprehensive about candidates who vacate their seat, said a party leader. The AAP, meanwhile, is banking on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s popularity and “continuity for development” poll plank
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