Delhi Election 2025: The Congress party on Friday announced Alka Lamba as its candidate for the Kalkaji seat, where she will face off against Chief Minister Atishi in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, expected to be held in February 2025. Alka Lamba, the president of the All India Mahila Congress, is a former legislator from the Chandni Chowk seat and a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader.
She returned to the Congress in 2019 after resigning from AAP, citing disrespect within the party.
Following the announcement of her candidacy, Alka Lamba launched a sharp attack on Atishi. She remarked, "Arvind Kejriwal insulted Chief Minister Atishi by calling her a 'temporary CM.' The moment she was labelled as such, the contest ended. Her journey is only a month-long."
Alka Lamba further outlined the key issues she intends to focus on, stating, "Our fight is against pollution, crime, inflation, unemployment, and the liquor policy. I will demand answers on all these issues." She also revealed that she had initially been reluctant to contest the election due to her organisational responsibilities but agreed upon the party leadership's insistence. "We will settle the score, reclaim lost ground, and avenge the injustice done to Delhi," she added.
Emphasising Congress's historical contributions, Alka said, "The Congress has given Delhi a permanent Chief Minister before and will do so again." She criticised the BJP and AAP for their approach to governance, remarking, "Unfortunately, the BJP and AAP, instead of working together, kept fighting, which harmed Delhi. Both Prime Minister Modi and Kejriwal must answer to Delhi. This is a crisis of their own making, and the Congress sees an opportunity in it."
Previously, Congress has also fielded Sandeep Dikshit, a former Lok Sabha member and the son of three-time Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, against AAP's Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat. Kejriwal, the AAP convenor, has been representing the New Delhi constituency since 2013 and is seeking a fourth term.
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Delhi Election 2025: About Kalkaji Seat
Atishi, who became Chief Minister in September following Kejriwal's resignation, has been a prominent figure in the AAP's leadership. The Kalkaji constituency, which she currently represents, has been an AAP stronghold, with victories in both 2015 and 2020. The constituency has a diverse voter base, including Other Backward Class (OBC), Dalit, Muslim, Brahmin, Punjabi, and Baniya communities.
Delhi Election 2025: Who Is Congress Kalkaji Candidate Alka Lamba
Alka Lamba's political career spans several decades. Starting as a student leader, she served as President of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) and later as the national President of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI). She also held roles as General Secretary of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) and Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). She assumed the role of All India Mahila Congress President on 5 January 2024.
The term of the current Delhi assembly expires on 23 February 2025, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) yet to announce the official polling dates.