This Article is From Jan 31, 2015

Arvind Kejriwal, Get Some Stability, Says Challenger Nupur Sharma

Arvind Kejriwal, Get Some Stability, Says Challenger Nupur Sharma

Nupur Sharma, the BJP's candidate against Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency

New Delhi:

Arvind Kejriwal's challenger in the New Delhi constituency Nupur Sharma may be a first time contestant but the London School of Economics post-graduate says she is confident of pulling off a surprise and defeat the AAP chief in the prestigious seat.

Calling the contest with Arvind Kejriwal a "fight of ideology", the BJP candidate says people are not going to support him this time as he does not have "stability" and "clarity" in what he is doing while referring to his decision to contest Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi.

"Kejriwal should first get some stability in life and then go to people and ask for votes. Sometimes he is here and then there, he is fooling people.

"People have understood his lies and becoming a CM again will only be a dream for him this time," Nupur Sharma told PTI.

When asked whether the party has given a walkover to Arvind Kejriwal by fielding her as a candidate, Nupur Nupur said, "The seat
is known for defeating chief ministers and 'killing giants', who was Kejriwal? He is only a creation of the media."

Accusing Mr Kejriwal of "not utilising" his MLA Local Area Development fund, she said, "He says a lot of big things, but I ask him what has he done for the people here.

"After losing elections in Varanasi, he was the MLA of the area for at least five months, but what has he done with the MLA fund? This area does not have a councilor as it is governed by NDMC, thus as a MLA his responsibilities were immense, and he has done nothing."

Ms Sharma, who was president of Delhi University Students Union in the year 2008, quit her job with a private law firm to join politics after her stint at LSE.

"The fight here is a fight of ideology, a fight of principles and a fight between truth and lies. BJP is not foolish that they will put me here just for losing the seat," she said.

Congress has fielded former Delhi Minister Kiran Walia from the seat.

She said, "After Narendra Modi was declared chief of the campaign before Lok Sabha elections, I felt that this is the time I can really do something for the party and left my job."

"I went to Saharanpur, Amritsar and Varanasi itself to work there before the Lok Sabha elections. Later, my name was recommended from the lower ranks and I was given a ticket in this constituency."

In the December 2013 polls, Kejriwal had defeated then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit by around 25,000 votes. Mr Kejriwal had polled 44,269 votes against Dikshit's 18,405 votes. BJP's Vijender Gupta had come third with 17,952 votes.

"The New Delhi area is very beautiful from outside but has tremendous problems inside which were not taken care of in the last last 16-17 years."

"The area has several clusters and slum areas along with a village which lacks basic necessities like sewerage, toilets and water. My focus will be on these three prime things," 29-year-old Ms Sharma said.

She further said, "The government bungalows and quarters may look very swanky from outside but there are serious problems in them. There are lot of people like servants and workers living there whose houses are not in proper condition. I think I will be able to help them."

Lashing out at previous MLAs of the area, Ms Sharma said, "This seat has been made the CM seat of Delhi, people will only vote for them and will see them only in TV. It's time, people of this constituency change this and vote for a person whom they will be able to reach easily."

Ms Sharma is backed by her whole family in her campaign, with each of her cousins sharing some responsibility.

"I don't belong to a family of politicians and have no near ones associated from any party, but I am happy that all my relatives have come along with me. Some have taken leave from their jobs and come from different cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and even abroad," she said.

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