Sheila Dikshit, six Congress candidates file nominations

New Delhi: Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Sheila Dikshit, accompanied by Congress workers, filed her nomination papers at the DC office, Nand Nagri for the North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday. All seven candidates of the Congress –former Delhi minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, former Delhi Congress chief Jai Prakash Agarwal, former Union minister Ajay Maken, Delhi Congress working president Rajesh Lilothia, former Cong MP Mahabal Mishra along with Dikshit and Vijender Singh filed their papers.

Talking to reporters, Dikshit, who has been fielded from North-East Delhi, said, "I have sentiments attached to this seat as I had fought my first election in Delhi from this seat." When asked whom she considers a bigger challenge between Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and AAP candidate Dilip Pandey, the Congress veteran said she sees both of them as a challenge and her endeavour will be to win from this seat. "No seat is small or big and it does not belong to any individual. It belongs to the people of the constituency," she said.

Dikshit had contested from East Delhi constituency in 1998, but faced defeat. The seat included parts of North-East Delhi at that time. Maken in a scathing attack said that the Modi government has withdrawn through its 7th Pay Commission, all the benefits given to government employees through the 6th Pay Commission by the UPA government.

Addressing his workers, Ajay Maken informed them that Congress government had got 3,000 flats constructed for the people staying in Katputli colony at the cost of Rs 1 each. He further said that it was Congress policy that if two families were staying in one jhuggi, then each family got a separate flat.

Vijender Singh, who is contesting from South Delhi, said he will focus on issues related youth and sports. "I am genuinely concerned about employment, which I think is a prominent issue for the youth. And being a sportsperson, I am also keen on working towards developing sports infrastructure. It's about time we had good infrastructure so that budding athletes can actually flourish," he said.

Asked why he opted for the Congress, which did not win a single seat in Delhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Vijender Singh said: "I relate to the ideology and the leadership. As is propagated by our leadership, I want to be a friend of the electorate. I don't wish to be the 'neta' that visits once in five years. I am not going to do rallies or road shows. I am going to connect with the voters spontaneously," Singh said.