Delhi Elections 2025: Congress’ Alka Lamba is CM Atishi’s challenger in Kalkaji, says ’Kejriwal won’t return anyway’

Delhi Elections 2025: The Congress on Friday fielded Alka Lamba as its candidate for the Delhi Assembly Elections against Chief Minister Atishi.

The Mahila Congress chief has been fielded from the Kalkaji seat.

"The Central Election Committee has approved the candidature of Alka Lamba as Congress candidate to contest the forthcoming general election to Legislative Assembly of Delhi from 51- Kalkaji constituency," the Congress said in a release.

Reacting to her candidature, Lamba said, "I don’t think I am contesting against the CM. Arvind Kejriwal himself called Atishi a ‘temporary CM’, so she has only a month left. Kejriwal won't return anyway."

As a woman holding a constitutional post, she is disrespecting her position, Lamba told PTI, adding, “Atishi must clarify her stance on being called a 'temporary CM' by Kejriwal.”

Alka Lamba, a former AAP MLA, rejoined the Congress party in October 2019. In 2014, she quit the Congress and joined the AAP. However, after her relationship with the AAP soured over differences on some issues, she returned to the grand old party.

Lamba started her political career at a young age as a student leader and was elected as the president of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) as an NSUI candidate in 1995.

On December 25, the Congress released its second list of 26 candidates. The first list of Congress candidates was released on December 21.

The Congress last held power in the national capital in 2013.

Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due in February, and the AAP is looking to secure a third consecutive term in the House.

Interestingly, the two parties are constituents of the INDIA bloc but are contesting the Delhi elections independently.

Earlier this week, the Congress attacked AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal over his "Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana", claiming that he was making a desperate attempt to "varnish his tainted image".

Kejriwal has said that the AAP would launch a "Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana" to provide a monthly allowance of ₹18,000 to temple priests and gurdwara granthis if re-elected.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate from New Delhi Assembly Constituency Sandeep Dikshit has vowed to file defamation cases against Atishi and AAP MP Sanjay Singh over their allegation against the Congress leader of taking money from the BJP.