Congress fields maximum number of 'dynasts' in upcoming Delhi polls

Wives, daughters, daughter-in-law, son and bror, all linked to politicians, are in fray for upcoming Delhi Assembly polls with Congress fielding maximum number of political dynasts. Congress' candidate from Kalkaji, Shivani Chopra, is daughter of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Subhash Chopra, while former Delhi Speaker Yoganand Shastri's daughter Priyanka Singh is contesting from R K Puram seat.

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Poonam Azad, wife of Kirti Azad who is campaign committee chief of Delhi Congress, is candidate for Sangam Vihar seat. She will be taking on AAP MLA Dinesh Mohaniya and S C L Gupta of JDU. Poonam, 53, had contested against n Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in 2003 assembly polls on a BJP ticket. She snapped her ties with BJP in vember 2016 after serving party for more than 20 years, alleging that she had been sidelined.

Poonam n joined AAP but just five months later, in April 2017, she switched to Congress. Her far-in-law Bhagwat Jha Azad, who served as Bihar chief minister in 1988-89, also belonged to Congress. Poonam's husband and former MP from Bihar's Darbhanga, Kirti, was suspended by BJP in December 2015 after he alleged irregularities in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) when it was headed by former finance minister Arun Jaitley.

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Priyanka Singh will contest against AAP's Parmila Tokas and BJP's Anil Sharma in R K Puram assembly seat. Singh, 41, is vice-president of Delhi Mahila Congress and has been politically active since 2008. Her far served as Delhi minister for food and civil supplies from 1998 to 2003, minister for health and social welfare from 2003 to 2008 and Delhi Assembly speaker from 2008 to 2013. Shastri represented Mehrauli seat for first two terms and Malviya Nagar constituency in his third term.

BJP too has candidates who are related to politicians. Rajiv Babbar, who has been fielded by BJP from Tilak Nagar, is son of former three-time MLA OP Babbar. senior Babbar had held Tilak Nagar seat in 1993, 2003 and 2008. Rajiv Babbar had twice unsuccessfully contested polls from seat in 2013 and 2015 and had lost to AAP's Jarnail Singh on both occasions.

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Bror of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, Azad Singh is BJP's candidate from Mundka. He is also uncle of BJP MP from West Delhi Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma. In 2013, Azad Singh was elected as mayor of rth Delhi. He has been active in politics since 1998 and has also contested for post of President of Government School Teachers Association, Delhi (GSTA).

AAP too has fielded Preeti Tomar, wife of former Delhi minister Jitender Singh Tomar, from Tri Nagar. Her candidature was anunced at last minute after Jitender was dropped following Delhi High Court setting aside his election for giving false declaration regarding his educational qualification in his mination papers for 2015 Delhi assembly polls.

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