The Hindu : New Delhi News : A shot in the arm for Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 05, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

A shot in the arm for Congress

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 4. The Congress campaign for wresting the seven Lok Sabha seats from the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi got a boost with the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Lok Janshakti Party and the Nationalist Congress Party directing its workers and local leaders to work for the success of the Congress candidates. This is likely to benefit the Congress immensely in Outer Delhi, East Delhi and New Delhi parliamentary constituencies.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal headed by former Union Minister, Ajit Singh, has asked its cadres to work in favour of the Congress candidates in all the seven Parliamentary seats. It is learnt that Mr. Singh has issued a direction in this regard through his Delhi unit president, Rattan Singh. The support extended by Rashtriya Lok Dal is likely to benefit the Congress in Outer Delhi and East Delhi constituencies in view of the large presence of Jats and Brahmins in these areas. Similarly, the Lok Janshakti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan also extended its unqualified support to the Congress candidates in Delhi. The party has urged its cadres to work with the Congress cadres to ensure the defeat of the BJP candidates in all the seven constituencies of the Capital. The party has been getting support from various quarters and only last week the Gujjar community decided to support the Congress in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

On the other hand, the Nationalist Congress party, an alliance partner of the Congress has joined hands to campaign for its party candidates in all the seven Lok Sabha seats.

According to the party MLA from Badarpur, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, it has been decided to support the cause of Congress in an attempt to defeat the communal forces and strengthen the secular fight. Mr. Bidhuri, who has been addressing public meetings in favour of the Congress candidates across the city, said that his party cadres had been asked to take up the Congress cause.

Mr. Bidhuri has so far addressed election meetings in Seelampur, Babarpur and adjoining areas. He also addressed a huge gathering of the Gujjar community in Mandawali and sought their support for the Congress candidate from East Delhi, Sandeep Dikshit. Mr. Bidhuri said he would also be addressing meetings in Outer Delhi and New Delhi in favour of the Congress candidates in the coming days.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi