Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Valmiki Temple in Delhi, where he offered prayers. With the electoral campaign in Delhi reaching its peak, all political parties are putting in their maximum efforts. On Tuesday, he will campaign for the Congress's New Delhi candidates Sandeep Dikshit, Anil Chaudhary, and Ariba Khan.
After his visit to the temple, he spoke to women from a Dalit locality. Gandhi's participation in Sandeep Dikshit's campaign appears to be an effort by Rahul Gandhi to connect with people at the grassroots level, as he attempts to engage directly with voters even before formally entering the electoral battle. His interaction with the women is seen as a significant step in raising awareness about the rights and challenges faced by the Dalit community.
Gandhi stayed away from campaigning on account of his poor health. But he will campaign on Tuesday with two public meetings in Patparganj and Okhla. In Okhla, the Congress has fielded Ariba Khan, daughter of two-time MLA Asif Mohammad Khan.
Tough Contest in Patparganj Seat
The electoral battle in the Patparganj constituency is expected to be highly competitive, with Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) all vying for the seat. Congress has fielded its senior leader Anil Chaudhary, who will face AAP's candidate Avadh Ojha and BJP's candidate Ravinder Singh Negi in the election.
The contest in Patparganj is particularly interesting given that in the 2020 Assembly elections, AAP's leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, won the seat three times. However, this time, Sisodia has been given a ticket from the Jangipur seat, making the Patparganj contest even more intriguing.
Historic Victory For AAP In 2020
Voting for the 70 Delhi Assembly seats will take place in a single phase on February 5, with the counting of votes scheduled for February 8. In 2020, AAP secured a historic victory, winning 62 seats, while the BJP managed to win only 8 seats, and Congress failed to win any.
This time, all major parties are putting in their full effort as the results of these seats are considered highly significant in Delhi's political landscape. The contest in Patparganj and New Delhi are expected to be among the key battles in this election.