Congress likely to field Romesh Sabharwal against Kejriwal

New Delhi, Jan 16 : Congress student wing NSUI's former Delhi President Romesh Sabharwal likely to be the party candidate against Arvind Kejriwal on the coveted New Delhi Assembly seat as no other senior leader is willing to contest from there.

Earlier, former Congress MLA Rajesh Lilothia had volunteered to contest against the Aam Aadmi Party chief but the party would like to contest from elsewhere.

An active party worker, Sabharwal, who has been associated with both the National Students Union of India and the Youth Congress, said: "I am willing to contest if the party nominates me as Kejriwal has not done anything in the constituency in past six years."

He also termed Kejriwal as a outsider.

The son of retired government servants, Sabharwal is pinning hope on the service class which has sizeable presence in the constituency.

The Congress' Central Election Committee met on Thursday and finalised candidates for 46 seats of the total 70 seats.

The announcement is likely to be made on Friday.

The Congress is giving four seats to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and will decide candidates for the remaining 20 seats soon.

State Congress President Subash Chopra said: "We have discussed most of the seats and list will be coming tomorrow."

Asked if senior leaders will contest, he said the high command will decide on this matter.

He, however, ruled himself out.

"I will not contest the elections as I have to manage the elections," Chopra said.

The Congress was finding it difficult to select a candidate for the New Delhi seat.

Of senior leaders, Ajay Maken has left for the US where his daughter is not well, while another veteran, Naseeb Singh, declined to contest.

On Maken's absence, Chopra said that an emergency could happen in anybody's family.

--IANS

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Source: IANS