BJP makes space for Nitish’s JDU and Chirag Paswan in Delhi polls | India News

Chirag Paswan (left) and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday allotted two seats to NDA allies, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Chirag Pawan’s LJP (Ram Vilas), for the upcoming Delhi assembly polls.
While JD(U) will contest from the Burari seat, Chirag Paswan’s party will fight the poll from the Deoli assembly seat.
Both the JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas), with a stronghold in Bihar that goes to polls this year, are key partners in the BJP-NDA.

BJP list

The BJP also named nine more candidates for the elections to the 70-member assembly, fielding Shikha Rai and Anil Vashishth from Greater Kailash and Babarpur, respectively.
While Rai is pitted against Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, Vashishth will take on Gopal Rai, who is also a minister in the AAP government.
The BJP’s first list, announced earlier this month, featured candidates like Parvesh Verma, Kailash Gahlot, and Arvinder Singh Lovely.
The second list features candidates like Kapil Mishra, who will contest from the Karawal Nagar constituency, and Neelam Pahalwan, who has been given the ticket for Najafgarh. Interestingly, the incumbent Najafgarh MLA, who recently left the Aam Aadmi Party to join BJP, has been fielded from Bijwasan, as per the first list.
With two seats given to the NDA allies, the BJP has fielded 68 candidates for the Delhi elections.
The 2025 Delhi assembly elections will be held on February 5, with results declared on February 8. The elections cover all 70 constituencies, as the term of the current assembly ends on February 23.
Candidates have until January 17 to file their nominations, which will be scrutinised on January 18. The deadline for withdrawal of candidature is January 20.