New Delhi: BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday voiced confidence that his party will return to power after a gap of 15 years in Delhi, claiming it was "far ahead" of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party.
"I can tell you very categorically that we are far ahead of Congress and the new entrant in Delhi politics. I am 100 per cent confident about our victory. I think nobody can make any dent in our vote bank," he said after casting his vote in Krishna Nagar constituency.
Rejecting claims that a triangular electoral contest has made it tough for BJP in the national capital, he said, "If there is any contest or fight, it is between the Congress and the new entrant (for the second place)."
Vardhan, who was named BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate at a very later stage, is trying to unseat the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government which has been ruling the national capital since the last 15 years.
He has promised to cut power tariff by 30 per cent and slash vegetable prices within 30 days of coming to power. The BJP has also promised to give 12 subsidised LPG cylinders in a year to each household instead of current nine besides ensuring full statehood.
It has also promised to set up a dedicated Women Security Force for safety of women. An ENT surgeon by profession, Vardhan is in the poll fray from Krishna Nagar for his fifth consecutive term.
He was preferred over Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel as the party's CM candidate mainly due to his "clean" image. The entry of Arvind Kejriwal's AAP has changed the dimension of the fight in the polls and it will be interesting to see whether the fledgling party will just be a "spoiler" or win some seats as predicted by opinion polls, riding on its anti-corruption plan.
The elections in Delhi and four other states are also being seen as the semi-final for the Lok Sabha polls to be held next year.
