NEW DELHI: Speculation is rife that BJP patriarch L.K. Advani’s daughter Pratibha could be fielded by the party from Greater Kailash constituency in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
The saffron party is considering Ms Advani’s name to make Greater Kailash a battleground for the daughters of the country’s most seasoned politician by fielding her against the Congress’ likely candidate, President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmishtha from the prestigious constituency.
The party is also considering the fact that Ms Advani had experience of managing her father’s election in the 1991 Lok Sabha polls.
“Ms Advani had managed L K Advani’s Lok Sabha campaign in the New Delhi seat in 1991 and Greater Kailash was part of the same constituency. She is familiar with both the area and its residents.”
A section of the leaders believes that apart from managing the 1991 New Delhi Lok Sabha election, Ms Advani had countinously handled her father’s election campaign in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar seat as well. Ms Advani’s candidature is going to make it a tough fight between the BJP and Congress’ likely candidate, Ms Mukherjee.
Ms Mukherjee entered active politics by joining the Congress in July. “If Congress announces Ms Mukherjee as its candidate from Greater Kasilash, the BJP will field Ms Advani against her,” a source close to the saffron brigade told this newspaper.
Another reason why the BJP is planning to field Ms Advani is the face that she too belongs to a seasoned political family like that of Ms Mykherjee. “Both are the daughters of most respected and seasoned politician of the country, ” a party leader said..
There is a thinking in the BJP that Greater Kailash will be a perfect launch pad for Ms Advani as the constituency has been a pocket borough of the BJP with its veteran leader Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra being a longstanding Parliamentarian from the South Delhi seat. Mr Malhotra represented the GK Assembly seat in 2008 as well.
While party leadership is seriously considering Ms Advani’s name, there are others BJP leaders who are also claiming ticket from Greater kailash. Among the other ticket aspirants are Ajay Malhotra, son of senior party leader Prof V K Malhotra, who lost the 2013 election to the Aam Aadmi Party and party’s former national secretary, Ms Arti Mehra. Ms Mehra is said to be lobbying for the GK seat in case the party decides to field its state unit chief Satish Uphadyay from from Malviya Nagar.
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