BJP fields Gautam Gambhir against AAP’s Atishi in East Delhi

The BJP has named cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who joined the party last month, as its candidate for the East Delhi Lok Sabha seat. He will face the Aam Aadmi Party‘s Atishi Marlena, known for her work on education, and the Congress’s Arvinder Singh Lovely, a former Delhi minister.

Why East Delhi

There had been early speculation that Gambhir, who often takes on the party’s political opponents on social media, would be fielded from New Delhi, but the party decided otherwise.

The seat was won last time by Maheish Girri, a social activist associated with the Art of Living, who founded the NGO Navbharat Sewa Samiti and was part of the India Against Corruption movement before leaving it over differences with Arvind Kejriwal and joining the BJP.

Girri was seen as a weak match for Atishi, who has made her mark as an adviser to Delhi’s deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, and is credited with changes to the city’s school system and the rebuilding of many school buildings. Gambhir’s selection was read as a sign that the BJP was willing to replace candidates it considered weak.

Other Delhi seats

• New Delhi: sitting MP and lawyer Meenakshi Lekhi, who faces senior Congress leader Ajay Maken, cleared by his party earlier in the day, and AAP’s Brajesh Goel.
• A day earlier the party had renominated four sitting MPs: Harsh Vardhan (Chandni Chowk), Manoj Tiwari (North East Delhi), Ramesh Bidhuri (South Delhi) and Parvesh Verma (West Delhi).
• North West Delhi (SC): the only seat still without a BJP candidate. Udit Raj won it on a BJP ticket last time, but there is speculation he may be replaced. With nominations closing on April 23, a decision is expected shortly.

See also: Lok Sabha members

Originally published on 23 April 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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