The Hindu : New Delhi News : Campaigning for Cantonment Board polls reaches feverish pitch

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Friday, May 16, 2008
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Campaigning for Cantonment Board polls reaches feverish pitch

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

NEW DELHI: Campaigning for the upcoming Delhi Cantonment Board elections reached a feverish pitch on Thursday as both the major political parties, the Congress and the BJP, brought in their senior leaders to push for their candidates in the eight wards. However, it is now being felt by the Congress that the vacuum that was created by former MLA Kiran Choudhary leaving for Haryana and becoming a Minister there could have a major impact on the polls.

A senior Congress leader said ever since Ms. Choudhury left for Haryana four years ago, the party had not nurtured anyone for the post of next MLA from the Delhi Cantonment constituency. On the other hand, BJP MLA Karan Singh Tanwar has in the meantime managed to enhance his image in the constituency.

In such a scenario, while the BJP is targeting the Congress over the issue of price rise, water, power and sanitation problems, and lack of adequate facilities for Defence personnel in the area, the Congress is banking on its anti-Tanwar tirade to win it the elections. It is going hammer and tongs to declare that the BJP legislator has not used his MLA Fund for development of the area. On the other hand, Mr. Tanwar has been harping that he had committed Rs.3 crore for the uplift of Delhi Cantonment.

The charges apart, the campaigning of the Congress and the BJP has also differed vastly. While the MP from South Delhi, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, and Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan have been campaigning daily , the BJP has been quick to bring all its other senior Delhi leaders .

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