Delhi Elections: Kalkaji Rivals Atishi, Alka Lamba File Nominations On Same Day

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Atishi filed her nomination from the Kalkaji constituency for the February 5 Assembly polls, a day after an FIR was filed against her for Model Code of Conduct violation.

Atishi, who will be pitted against BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress' Alka Lamba for the Kalkaji seat, had defeated the BJP's Dharambir Singh by a vote margin of more than 10 per cent. Atishi said, "On the occasion of Makar Sankranti today, I have filed my nomination and I hope that, just as I have received love from the people of Kalkaji before, I will continue to receive the same in the future."

#WATCH | Delhi CM & AAP candidate from Kalkaji Assembly constituency, Atishi files nomination at District Election Office pic.twitter.com/EyiLYRBuH6

— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2025

Regarding the FIR against her, Atishi said, "The whole country saw that Parvesh Verma was distributing money. Women came on TV and said that they were given Rs 1100 to press the lotus button. After that, he tweeted saying that he was distributing glasses in a health camp. Then he was distributing sheets and bedspreads with his name in Kidwai Nagar. The Election Commission does not see any violation of the Model Code of Conduct in this."

After taking oath on September 22, 43-year-old Atishi became the third woman chief minister of Delhi, after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit. She was elevated to the post after then chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal tendered his resignation after being released from jail in the excise policy case.

Just six hours after asking people to fund her assembly election campaign, Atishi raised more than Rs 15 lakh through her online portal on Sunday. She has set a goal of garnering Rs 40 lakh as her election campaign fund.

Ms Lamba too filed her nomination papers on Tuesday. The 49-year-old leader left the Congress in 2013 and joined the Aam Aadmi Party. Two years later, she went on to win the election to the Delhi assembly from Chandni Chowk constituency. In 2019, she left the AAP and returned to her parent party, the Congress.

Kejriwal has now said he will return to the post only if he gets a renewed mandate from the people in Delhi. Counting of votes cast in the Delhi Assembly polls will take place on February 8.