2020 Assembly polls will give another Sheila Dikshit to Delhi: Alka Lamba

Congress candidate for Delhi's Chandni Chowk seat Alka Lamba said on Friday that this assembly elections will give city "ar Sheila Dikshit".

Lamba (44), who quit Aam Ami Party and returned to Congress fold last year, claimed that her constituency would see a "one-sided contest as AAP will find it difficult to explain to people why it has fielded someone whom it termed 'corrupt' in 2015".

AAP has fielded Prahl Singh Sawhney, who contested 2015 elections from same seat on a Congress ticket and stood third. On low number of women representatives in electoral politics, Lamba said, " Congress has always focussed on fair representation and this time it has fielded 10 women."

AAP and BJP has fielded nine and five women respectively. Asked if someone can rise to stature of Sheila Dikshit a three-time chief minister Lamba was confident in declaring, " 2020 elections will give ar Sheila Dikshit to Delhi." On allegation of Congress practising dynastic politics and fielding family members of prominent party leers in this election, she said, "That's t true. Former MP Jai Prakash Agarwal's son Mudit Agarwal wanted to contest from Chandni Chowk, but party chose me considering what I have done on ground for 25 years."

"In constituencies where party could t find a very strong ground-level worker, it has given ticket to someone who has a political legacy considering ir experience in politics," Lamba said. Congress candidate also said BJP has become heavily dependent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in its hustings, which will "eventually le to its failure".

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" BJP has become hollow from inside. y are fighting all elections, even if it is gali ka chunav (local body election), with only one face. Leers like (former Chhattisgarh CM) Raman Singh, (ex-Mhya Presh CM) Shivraj Singh Chauhan have vanished from scene... Once PM Modi demits office, BJP will come crashing down," she said.

Lamba said data from election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms shows a surprisingly high number of criminals, who have rape cases registered against m, have entered politics. "This has happened because parties are seeking votes in name of one leer or face. People get swayed by 'so called waves' and invertently vote criminals to power," she said.

Election Commission told Supreme Court on Friday that its 2018 direction asking poll candidates to declare ir criminal antecedents in media has t helped curb criminalisation of politics, and suggested that political parties should be asked t to give tickets to those with criminal background. On BJP raising national issues like amended citizenship law and planned National Register of Citizens (NRC) in assembly elections, Lamba said, "y have got thing to show to people, so y resort to polarisation."

"Union ministers are clinging on to 'tukde-tukde gang' rhetoric. Senior BJP leers are identifying people with ir so-called strange eating habits. Our women in Shaheen Bagh are fighting to keep this country toger and y (BJP leers) are calling it a 'Shame' Bagh. Such leers should be ashamed of mselves. Those who have women in ir families cant make such statements," she said.

Lamba, who rose from student politics, said Congress and BJP have me ir stand clear on CAA and NRC and violence against students, but " AAP is still deliberating pros and cons and weighing options". " BJP and AAP have entered a secret pact. Kejriwal has been asked to keep mum. Students supported him in 2011 India Against Corruption movement but he has left m in lurch," she alleged.

About delay in hanging of Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts, Lamba said pinned blame on BJP and AAP who are in power at Centre and city respectively. On lawyer Indira Jaising suggesting Nirbhaya's mor to "follow example" of Congress leer Sonia Gandhi and pardon four men sentenced to death for raping her daughter in 2012, Lamba said, "It is absolutely wrong."

"Let mor who went through all troubles for more than seven years decide. It is easy to give suggestions from comfort of one's own home." Asked to rate her work in last five years, Lamba said, "I can never say I am content. I want to do more for my people." "I have raised issue of unauthorised constructions and power lines precariously dangling re. Illegal construction is going on unbridled, but municipal corporation doesn't blink an eye," she alleged.

"A constant fear of an Anaaj Mandi-like blaze gnaws at me. Short circuits are common. We got 19 new transformers installed in densely-populated areas such as Jama Masjid to divide power lo. I agree that a major disaster can happen anytime, but I will keep raising se issues and keep doing what I can," Lamba said. She said extreme levels of pollution has choked city as Kejriwal government "believe in publishing full-p vertisements and t in facing challenges he on like Sheila Dikshit government".

" Dikshit-led Congress government brought in CNG, shifted polluting industries to outskirts. Since n, government's budget has grown manifold but that has been used only for vertisements," she said. "As far as public representatives are concerned, an MLA gets Rs 50 crore in five years. Which means 70 MLAs can do a lot," she ded.

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