 "Congress unveils 'mauka mauka' booklet, targets AAP, BJP before Delhi polls")
As the Delhi Assembly elections approach in February next year, political parties are busy trading barbs over several inefficiencies. In a similar drift, Delhi Congress chief Devendra Yadav, accompanied by party leader Ajay Maken and other members, unveiled a booklet titled ‘Mauka Mauka Har Baar Dhokha’ on Wednesday (December 25).
The booklet focuses on the shortcomings and unmet promises of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.
Expressing his concerns, Devendra Yadav remarked that the AAP has governed Delhi for the past 11 years, while the BJP has been in power nationally for the last decade, yet citizens’ expectations has remained unmet. Yadav said that even after more than 10 years, people of Delhi feel betrayed instead of seeing the progress they were promised.
Yadav also reflected on the 15-year tenure of Congress under Sheila Dikshit’s leadership in Delhi, emphasising the notable advancements achieved during that period. He cited achievements in infrastructure, environmental sustainability, women’s empowerment, senior citizen welfare, and initiatives supporting economically weaker sections, such as ration card distribution and cooking gas cylinder schemes.
Congress pits Farhad Suri against Manish Sisodia
Earlier on Tuesday, the Congress released its second list of 26 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Among them is Farhad Suri, who will challenge AAP leader Manish Sisodia in Jangpura. This list also features former AAP legislators Asim Khan and Devender Sehrawat, who recently joined Congress.
Suri’s candidacy in Jangpura sets up a high-profile clash with AAP’s Manish Sisodia. Other prominent candidates on the list include Satish Luthra (Shakur Basti), Rajesh Lilothia (Seemapuri, SC), Haji Mohammad Ishraq Khan (Babarpur), Rajesh Chauhan (Deoli, SC), Pradeep Kumar Upmanyu (Delhi Cantt), and Sumit Sharma (Laxmi Nagar).
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The second list was approved during a meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) earlier that day. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party leader Rahul Gandhi joined via video conferencing, while Delhi in-charge Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin and state chief Devendra Yadav were present at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi.
Congress reveals 47 Delhi candidates
With this announcement, Congress has revealed 47 candidates for the 70-member Delhi Assembly. Asim Khan will contest from Matia Mahal, while Devender Sehrawat has been fielded from Bijwasan. Both officially joined the party on Monday.
Earlier this month, Congress announced its first list of 21 candidates, including former MP Sandeep Dikshit, who is set to face AAP’s national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency.
Key figures in the first list included Delhi Congress president Devendra Yadav (Badli), former Delhi minister Haroon Yusuf (Ballimaran), ex-Delhi Congress president Chaudhary Anil Kumar (Patparganj), national spokesperson Ragini Nayak (Wazirpur), and Adarsh Shastri (Dwarka). The Delhi Assembly elections are expected to take place in February next year.