New Delhi:
Popular singer Daler Mehndi, seen as being close to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, has joined the Congress. He's expected to contest the Delhi state election from Tilak Nagar in the western part of the capital, an area that was lacerated during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 which followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party has decided to field former journalist Jarnail Singh from this constituency. He had hurled a shoe at union minister P Chidambaram at a press conference ahead of the general elections in 2009, in protest against Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar being given tickets by the Congress party. Later, their tickets were withdrawn.
Both leaders are accused of instigating mobs to attack Sikhs during the riots.
In an important election slated for November, this is likely to be a keen contest. With both the Congress and AAP fielding Sikh candidates from the Tilak Nagar constituency, it'll be interesting to see who the BJP will field. The party, out of power for close to a decade and a half, will be hoping to stage a comeback in the capital.