Polling activity picks up for Subhash Nagar MCD bypoll

New Delhi, July 17 (UNI) Electioneering for the July 23 MCD bypolls for the Subhash Nagar ward picked up today with top leaders of both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP campaigning for their candidates.

While for the Congress, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Ram Babu Sharma addressed several corner meetings in support of party candidate Seema Luthra, the BJP organised rallies addressed by senior party leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Vijay Kumar Malhotra in support of the party candidate Meera Kanwaria.

In his campaign for Congress candidate Seema Luthra, DPCC chief Ram Babu Sharma said the Congress party was the only political outfit which cared for the people and, therefore, it was in the interest of the people of the area to elect Mrs Luthra with a thumping margin.

He said the BJP was totally scared at the popularity of the Congress candidate and that was why BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra was straining his chords to make false accusations at the Congress.

For the BJP, party Central leaders, National General Secretary Arun Jaitley and former Chief Minister of Delhi Sushma Swaraj campaigned for the party candidate.

Severely criticising the ruling Congress with reference to the recent bomb blasts in Mumbai and Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP leaders said,'' the Congress led UPA Government which has been formed by parties of contradictory principles, is soft towards the terrorists and has proved to be a failure in protecting the people. The BJP leaders have also targeted the Congress for steep price spiral.'' Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra took out a about three kilometres long 'padyatra' with party workers and called upon the people to make BJP candidate Meera Kanwaria victorious by a big margin.

Addressing the people, Prof Malhotra alleged that due to connivance between the corrupt Congress leaders and hoarders, the people are suffering from the steep increase prices of essential commodities.

''The prices of flour, rice, pulses, vegetables are sky rocketing due to which it has become difficult not only for the poor, but also for the middle class to satisfy their hunger. The Government is playing a drama of selling pulses at cheap rates, but it is first taking effective steps to curb the increase in price,'' he said.

UNI AR PA ND1940