Key Delhi Lok Sabha battles: Kanhaiya Kumar vs Manoj Tiwari, Bansuri Swaraj vs Somnath Bharti among major contests

A total of 162 candidates are competing in Delhi for the crucial Lok Sabha elections, with the highest number of contenders in North East Delhi. Voting has already concluded in 428 constituencies across 25 states and Union territories. Now, attention is on the penultimate phase, which includes polling for 58 seats, among them all seven seats in Delhi. The high-energy campaign for this phase, featuring Union ministers, chief ministers, and senior political leaders, ended on Thursday.

Major Parties and key figures

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won all seven Delhi seats in the last election, has made significant changes, keeping only Manoj Tiwari in North East Delhi. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress have formed a seat-sharing alliance as part of the INDIA bloc. AAP is contesting four seats while Congress is contesting three.

ALSO READ: Over 1,000 Villagers in Odisha boycott phase 5 of Lok Sabha Elections

BJP’s campaign included rallies by Prime Minister Modi and canvassing by prominent leaders like Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Yogi Adityanath. Congress's campaign was led by Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Sachin Pilot. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, out on interim bail until June 1, held roadshows for both AAP and Congress candidates. During his jail time, his wife Sunita Kejriwal and senior party leaders conducted outreach activities under the "Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se" campaign.

Key battles to watch

New Delhi: AAP MLA Somnath Bharti is up against BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of the late Sushma Swaraj. Bansuri is leveraging her mother's legacy, while Bharti relies on AAP’s local governance appeal to secure the high-profile seat.

North East Delhi: Congress’s Kanhaiya Kumar is challenging two-time MP Manoj Tiwari, the only BJP candidate to be repeated. Both candidates hail from Bihar and are targeting Purvanchali voters to gain an edge.

ALSO READ: Election Commission warns Supreme Court: indiscriminate disclosure of polling station turnout data could cause chaos

In East Delhi, the BJP replaced sitting MP Gautam Gambhir, who requested to be relieved of his duties to focus on cricket. The BJP has fielded Harsh Malhotra, an LLB, against AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar, a sitting MLA from Kondli. 

With such significant figures and alliances, the Delhi Lok Sabha elections are set to be a closely watched and competitive event.