Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan after filing his election nomination papers in Delhi on March 21, 2014.
Harsh Vardhan, Meenakshi Lekhi, Ajay Maken, Ashutosh and Rakhi Birla were among a host of leaders from BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi who filed nomination papers for the April 10 Lok Sabha polls in Delhi. (
In pictures: Politicians make a beeline to file nomination)
Delhi BJP president Vardhan, who was party's Chief Ministerial candidate in the assembly polls, filed nomination for the Chandni Chowk constituency where Union Minister Kapil Sibal and AAP's Ashutosh are other two formidable contenders.
Exhuding confidence in winning the seat, Vardhan said there has been a wave for BJP in the entire country and the party will come out with spectacular performance in the election in the national capital as well.
"I am proud that Narendra Modi and the BJP high command have chosen me as the candidate for Chandni Chowk. This constituency is very special to me as I was born and spent the first 15 years of my life here," he said.
Ashutosh, accompanied by large number of AAP supporters also filed his nomination today. In the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Sibal had won the seat defeating BJP's Smriti Irani. In 2009, he beat BJP's Vijender Gupta.
BJP spokesperson Lekhi and Maken also filed their nomination papers before the Returning officer at Jamnagar House for the prestigious New Delhi constituency.
Maken, an AICC General Secretary and Communication Department chairman, was accompanied by his mother, wife, two daughters, son and some supporters.
Lekhi came to the Returning Officer's office, herself driving a white colour open jeep to give a message of women empowerment. She was accompanied by senior BJP leader V K Malhotra, her husband Aman Lekhi and son Pranay Lekhi, who is handling her social media campaign.
"I would just be talking about development work done by me and I would like to extend my best wishes to the contenders," Maken told reporters.
When BJP candidate Lekhi was asked whether Maken had an upper hand due to his experience, she said, "I know election management. This time I am a challenge for him and you should ask this question to him."
Aam Aadmi Party has fielded journalist-turned-politician Ashish Khetan from the seat. He filed his nomination papers yesterday. Khetan is the founder of news portal gulail.com.
Sitting MP from East Delhi Sandeep Dikshit also filed his nomination for the seat. Flanked by hundreds of Congress workers, Dikshit, 49, submitted his nomination papers before the Returning officer at Deputy Commissioner's office in East Delhi.
Exuding confidence of retaining his seat, Dikshit said, "Though we lost the Delhi assembly elections, there is no loss of enthusiasm among party workers. We are confident of winning this time around as the so-called wave is over."
Asked to comment on BJP's claim of a "wave" in favour of Narendra Modi, Dikshit said there was no such thing on ground and it was just a "creation" of media. Dikshit faces a three-cornered contest in the constituency as BJP has fielded Maheish Girri while AAP's Rajmohan Gandhi is the other main contender.
BJP candidate from West Delhi Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and the party's nominee from North West Delhi Udit Raj also filed their nominations.