DIKSHIT FIRES POLITICAL SALVO AT KEJRIWAL

Former MP and Congress candidate from the New Delhi Constituency, Sandeep Dikshit has raised questions that could have a bearing on Arvind Kejriwal's projection as the Chief Ministerial nominee of the Aam Aadmi Party in the coming Assembly polls.

- PANKAJ VOHRA

Dikshit has stated that one of the conditions laid down by the Apex Court while granting bail to Kejriwal was that he would not be signing any papers as the CM, something which he took into cognisance and resigned, paving the way for Atishi Singh to succeed him.

The point flagged by the Congress nominee has legal implications and may become a matter of contention when the campaigning is in full swing.

However, by taking a combative posture right in the beginning, Dikshit has made it clear that he was not going to allow Kejriwal an easy passage in the Assembly and would also try and avenge his mother's defeat at his hands, when Sheila Dikshit as the serving CM, had lost to him by 26,500 votes in 2013 and had even forfeited her deposit.

Dikshit also sees it as his best chance to make a political comeback in the capital and is in no mood to allow the opportunity to slip by.

It is another matter that vanquishing Kejriwal, who enjoys tremendous goodwill is never going to be an easy task.

The BJP which is yet to declare its list has already made it known that it shall be fielding Parvesh Verma, two times MP and son of former CM, Sahib Singh Verma as its candidate against Kejriwal.

Although many political pundits find it Verma's candidacy from New Delhi a bit odd given that there are hardly any Jat votes in the area where government employees have a large say.