Congress candidate Sharmistha Mukherjee has cautioned against BJP's newcomer Rakesh Gulia lightly.
The Greater Kailash Constituency in New Delhi is set to see a three-cornered contest in the coming Assembly elections. The seat will see President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter, Sharmistha, contesting on a Congress ticket, take on BJP's local corporator Rakesh Gulia and former AAP minister Saurabh Bhardwaj.
The constituency features a diverse electorate, cutting across the lines of the socioeconomic spectrum.
As a local resident, Ms Mukherjee claims she understands the needs of the constituency well. However, she is not willing to write off Mr Gulia, whom many have discounted as being a newcomer. "If people think Rakesh Gulia is weak, they should do their homework and not humiliate him. He and his wife have been city councillors for eight years, working at the grassroots and living locally," she says.
However, she is more dismissive of her competitor from the AAP. "When I started, it was a triangular fight. But now that I have spoken to the people, they say they are disillusioned with AAP because the party has not delivered. So, now the contest is between the BJP and me," Ms Mukherjee declares.
However, by the admission of Ms Mukherjee's own party, Mr Bhardwaj has done significant work in the short span that he represented the constituency. He had won here in the 2013 election, beating BJP's Ajay Malhotra, son of party veteran VK Malhotra.
"I have worked hard in the last one year, and I think people are ready to give me a second chance. In four months, I spent all the money from my MLA funds, and even spent the unutilised money from the previous MLA's funds," he says, adding that he believes there is an anti-incumbency factor locally against the BJP candidate.
Mr Gulia however disagrees strongly. "It is precisely the recognition of the work done by my wife and I that has earned me the ticket. AAP is making these statements because they are nowhere in the race, and have been rejected by the people of Delhi," he says.