BJP releases first list of candidates for Delhi assembly election, announces 57 names

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced candidates for 57 assembly seats for the upcoming Delhi elections. 

Delhi has 70 assembly seats. 

"This is a list of winners. We will form a government with full majority. We are contesting the election on a positive agenda," Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said while releasing the list. 

The BJP has fielded 11 SC candidates and four women, Tiwari announced. 

Former AAP legislator Kapil Mishra, who quit the party after being sacked as a minister and subsequently levelled corruption allegations against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, will contest from Model Town. He had won the 2015 assembly elections on an AAP ticket from Karawal Nagar seat. 

Vijender Gupta, one of the three BJP candidates who had won the 2015 election, will contest from his current seat Rohini. 

The BJP has also given tickets to three Congress turncoats - Sanjay Singh, Surendra Singh Bittu and SC Vats.

Here is the full list of 57 BJP candidates:

Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 8 while counting of votes will be conducted on February 11. The ruling AAP is locked in a triangular contest with the BJP and the Congress but is favourite to retain the Union Territory. 

Nominations for the Delhi elections began on Tuesday and the last date to file the papers is January 21. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on January 22 while the last date of withdrawal of candidature is January 24.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced the list of candidates for all 70 seats. Among its key candidates, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will contest from his current constituency of New Delhi while his deputy Manish Sisodia will again contest from Patparganj. 

AAP's Lok Sabha candidates Dilip Pandey, Atishi and Raghav Chadha have been fielded from Timarpur, Kalkaji and Rajinder Nagar, respectively.