NCP enters Delhi poll fray on last day of filing nominations

NCP contests Delhi election with 68 candidates, supported by allies LJP and JD(U), facing AAP, Congress, and BJP.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a ruling Mahayuti alliance partner in Maharashtra, fielded 30 candidates in the national capital on Friday, the final day of filing nominations for the February 5 70-member Delhi Assembly election.

The NCP will take on the BJP, fighting in 68 constituencies, and its allies — Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janata Dal (United) — contesting on a seat each, as well as the INDIA bloc partners Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, which are fighting the poll separately.

“We believe these candidates will represent the best of our values and are committed to the development and prosperity of Delhi,” said NCP spokesperson Brijmohan Shrivastav. The party had earlier released its list of star campaigners, which includes Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, NCP working president Praful Patel, and Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare.

It has fielded Vishvanath Agarwal from New Delhi seat, where AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal is up against BJP’s former MP Parvesh Sahib Singh and Congress’s former MP Sandeep Dikshit.

Meanwhile, an Election Commission of India (EC) official said they had received a total of 1,497 nominations for the election.

AAP’s Dharampal Lakra (Mundka), who recently switched over from the Congress and was the richest candidate in the 2020 poll with total assets worth ₹292 crore, filed his nomination.

Others include Congress’s former Union Minister Krishna Tirath (Patel Nagar reserved constituency), BJP’s Shikha Rai (Greater Kailash), JD(U)’s Shailendra Kumar (Burari), and LJP (Ram Vilas)’s Deepak Tanwar from Deoli.