New Delhi Lok Sabha candidates: BJP and Congress veterans face off, AAP fields a new face

Incumbent BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi is up against veteran Congress leader Ajay Maken as AAP fields a new face in Brijesh Goyal in the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Get detailed information on all candidates here.

With inputs from Sri Krishna, Delhi

New Delhi Parliamentary constituency is comprised of 10 assembly constituencies: Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Moti Nagar, Delhi Cantonment, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, Kasturba Nagar, Malviya Nagar, RK Puram, Greater Kailash. While the constituency has seen shifting loyalties between the BJP and INC, the Aam Aadmi Party made inroads in the previous Lok Sabha elections by polling second.

This constituency has a unique history: Since 1992, the party winning this seat has formed the government at the Centre. Of 16 general elections and two by-elections since 1951, the winner here formed the government 13 times. Delhi’s oldest constituency, whose electorate is a mix of power and money elite, middle-class central government employees and a smattering of voters from the lower income group, this seat was once represented by late superstar Rajesh Khanna who defeated L K Advani.

The constituency houses prestigious institutions like Parliament House, Supreme Court, ministries and other central government offices, the official residences of the President, the Prime Minister, all union ministers, top civil, judicial and military officials and the diplomatic enclave. It also has high profile markets like Khan Market, which apparently Sonia Gandhi used to frequent, Defence Colony, South Extension, Connaught Place, Green Park, Hauz Khas and Lajpat Nagar. The constituency, which came into existence in 1951, has always witnessed high-profile contests.

This time around, it presents an interesting fight between BJP’s sitting MP Meenakshi Lekhi, 51 and Ajay Maken, 55, a long time Congress loyalist who came third in 2014. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has put up a first time contestant Brijesh Goyal, 43, a businessman, who has foisted on the BJP candidate the slogan “Meenakshi Lekhi, Kabhi Nahi Dekhi.”

A total of 27 candidates are contesting from various political parties and as independents from New Delhi. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected 28 applications for the constituency for various reasons.

According to the ECI website, the constituency has a total of 1617470 voters.

[flexiblemap src=”http://data.opencity.in/Data/Delhi-Parliament-Constituency-New-Delhi-Map-V-1.kml” width=”100%” height=”400px” ]

Note – Map for representation purpose | Source – http://datameet.org

2014 Lok Sabha Elections

Incumbent MP: Meenakshi Lekhi

Name of candidate Party Votes secured Vote share (over total votes polled)
Meenakshi Lekhi BJP 4,53,350 46.73
Ashish Khetan AAP 2,90,642 29.96
Ajay Maken INC 1,82,893 18.85
NOTA 5,589 0.58

Source: ECI

Know your candidates

Meenakshi Lekhi (Bharatiya Janata Party)

Pic: Facebook

The incumbent MP from the Bharatiya Janata Party won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections pipping Ajay Maken of the Congress who had been elected from the New Delhi constituency for two terms. A lawyer by profession, Meenakshi Lekhi has been part of the BJP’s various women empowerment initiatives over the years.

More details can be found in the affidavit filed with the ECI here.

To know more about her performance in Parliament, click here.

Phone: 9810729643

E-mail:mrs.mlekhi@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLekhiBJP/

Financial details of candidate:

Year Assets Liabilities
2014 7,09,36,470 (movable) +27,90,00,000 (immovable) 32,27,562
2019 8,24,41,686 (movable) +27,90,00,000 (immovable) 79,38,378

Source: MyNeta, ECI

Ajay Maken (Indian National Congress)

Pic: Facebook

Veteran leader Ajay Maken is the Congress candidate from New Delhi. He was the winner from the constituency in the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections and has served as Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Housing and Urban Development.

More details can be found in the affidavit filed with the ECI here.

Phone: 9953112026

E- mail: ajay.maken@inc.in

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajaymaken/

Financial details of candidate:

Year Assets Liabilities
2014 3,89,97,275 (movable) + 2,21,01,400 (immovable) 5,00,000
2019 5,91,32,926 (movable) + 18,66,00,000 (immovable) Nil

Source: MyNeta, ECI

Brijesh Goyal (Aam Aadmi Party)

Pic: Facebook

In his first electoral foray, Brijesh Goyal of the AAP faces a tough fight against veterans of the Congress and BJP. He is the convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party trade wing and the National Convenor of the Chamber of Trade and Industry. Full statehood for Delhi remains the main focus of his campaign.

More details can be found in the affidavit filed with the ECI here.

Phone: 9810872999

E-mail:brijesh.goyal@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrijeshGoyalIndia/

Financial details of candidate:

Year Assets Liabilities
2019 45,94,156 (movable) +50,00,000 (immovable) 32,85,554

Source: MyNeta

List of other candidates contesting from New Delhi

S. No Name Party Symbol Age Education Occupation
1 Upendra Anjaan Admi Party Cup & Saucer 31 B.Tech Consultant
2 Umesh Chandra Gaur Republican Party of India Sewing Machine 51 M.A Journalist
3 Jitendra Raut Akhil Bharatiya Manavata Paksha Kettle 40 B.Sc Politician
4 Naveen Kumar Rashtriya Samrasta Party Laptop 44 LLB Advocate
5 Nilanjan Bannerjee Bharat Lok Sewak Party Electric Pole 41 Class XII Self-employed
6 Ravinder Sehgal Pyramid Party of India Pineapple 70 M.A Insurance Consultant
7 Raj Karan Corruption Abolition Party Stumps 61 Class X Businessman
8 Raj Gunti Prism Triangle 44 B.A Businessman
9 Rajesh Satiya Sanatan Sanskriti Raksha Da Grapes 36 M.Com Web Designer
10 Lal Ji Akhand Rashtrawadi Party Bricks 49 B.Com Self-employed
11 Virendra Bharat Rashtriya Rashtrawadi Party CCTV 57 LLB Advocate
12 K Sreekrishna Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party Bicycle 49 LLM Advocate
13 Sunil Aapki Apni Party Torch 36 Class IX Self-employed
14 Sunil Kumar People’s Party of India Fruit Basket 47 LLB Advocate
15 Swadesh Kumar Ohri Atulya Bharat Party Batsman 77 F.Sc Businessman
16 Ajay Lal Independent Football 60 MA Retired
17 Aashish Saxena Independent Chain 39 MA Consultant
18 Kripashankar Pandey Independent Key 61 Intermediate Farmer
19 Dilip Kothari Independent Mic 59 M.Sc Retired
20 Priyanka Independent Robot 33 LLB Advocate
21 Ramesh Independent Hockey Stick 58 LLB Agriculturist
22 Sreenivasan Ramamoorthy Independent Winnower 57 B.Tech Social Worker
23 Suresh Kumar Independent Hand Cart 41 BA Unemployed
24 Harkishan Nijawan Independent Razor 56 Intermediate Businessman

Issues of the constituency

While elsewhere, more mundane issues of everyday living dominate, for voters from the large number of affluent residential and government colonies in this constituency, the key issues are very different: pay commission, HRA and Dearness Allowance. But New Delhi is not all VVIPs. It does have a few voters more concerned with local issues, like Rajkumar, a resident of Pilonji village. “Issues of religion and India-Pakistan are not our first priority,” said Raj Kumar. “My family wants jobs, and facilities in our locality”.

Meenakshi Lekhi defended her party’s shift in emphasis from development to nationalism saying the two issues are interlinked. She also took a dig at Ajay Maken, a former urban development minister from 2004 to 2014 saying all of Delhi’s problems are related to urban development. Makan retorted saying he had made 170 amendments to the Delhi Master Plan to resolve the Supreme Court monitored sealing drive to shut down unauthorised shops, which is a cause for worry for the BJP as its main support base is among traders, many of whom have been affected by the SC decision. “We were running our shop for 15 years but the past one year has been about fighting to save our livelihood,” said Sushil Gupta, a Karol Bagh shop owner.

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