JD(U)’s Shoaib Iqbal may contest from Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat

Speaking to Newsline, Iqbal said, “Contesting from Chandni Chowk is definitely a possibility, and I am looking at it. I am holding discussions with influential persons in the area, including the heads of religious groups, and it is likely that I will enter the fray.”

Iqbal, presently from the JD(U) after a stint in the LJP as well, said in 2004 and 2009, he had chosen not to fight from Chandni Chowk, after he was requested to stay away by senior Congress leaders. “They were afraid that I would eat into the votes of the Congress, and the BJP would win the seat. I agreed to refrain from contesting so a secular party would triumph in Chandni Chowk.

When I contested earlier, Vijay Goel of the BJP won the seat, by tiny margins,” he said.

Several in Old Delhi believe that Iqbal’s re-emergence in the fray will work against the AAP and its candidate Ashutosh. “For years, this area has voted according to a set pattern. The Vaishya community is a stronghold for the BJP, and the Muslims voted for the Congress. The Congress was able to pull in voters from outside the Walled City as well, and this helped them win for ten years.

However, since very little development has taken place, a lot of the Congress votes could have gone to the AAP, since the Muslims will not vote for the BJP. But if Iqbal returns to Chandni Chowk, he will get a lot of that segment,” Mohammad Ansar, a restaurant owner in Old Delhi, said.

Iqbal too does not believe the AAP can create a dent in Chandni Chowk, unless Arvind Kejriwal were to declare that he will take on Narendra Modi. “If I don’t contest, then this seat will be between the Congress and the BJP. The Walled City has its own culture, and it is very hard for newcomers to understand it. In my assessment, the AAP will find out that Lok Sabha elections are much harder than Assembly elections. But if Kejriwal were to take on Narendra Modi, people could be drawn to the AAP,” Iqbal said.