Congress has put forth a robust challenge in Delhi’s 2025 Assembly elections, fielding Alka Lamba against Chief Minister Atishi from the Kalkaji constituency. A former AAP leader, Lamba brings experience and a focus on key local issues such as pollution and crime. With the stakes high, Congress hopes to diminish AAP’s stronghold and regain its lost influence in the national capital.
BY PC Bureau
After fielding former MP Sandeep Dikshit against Arvind Kejriwal, the Congress has taken another decisive step by nominating its prominent Delhi leader Alka Lamba to contest against Chief Minister Atishi from the Kalkaji seat in the upcoming 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. This move signals the party’s determination to reclaim lost ground in the national capital, where it once enjoyed an unbroken 15-year reign under Sheila Dikshit’s leadership.
Congress’s strong push in Delhi  could  unsettle the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is already under pressure from the BJP. If the Congress succeeds in denting AAP’s Muslim and Dalit voter base, it could potentially jeopardize Kejriwal’s bid to return to power. Unlike the last two Assembly elections, where Congress seemed to concede ground to AAP, this time the party appears resolute in its efforts to stage a comeback.
VIDEO | Delhi: "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. Atishi must clarify her… pic.twitter.com/VGz4GW70XR
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 3, 2025
Alka Lamba, the All India Mahila Congress president and a former AAP leader, expressed gratitude for her nomination and emphasized her commitment to addressing Delhi’s pressing issues. “My fight is against hazardous air, the polluted Yamuna, and crime in Delhi,” she said, taking a swipe at Atishi, whom she referred to as a “temporary CM” — a label previously used by Kejriwal himself.
Lamba, who began her political journey with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) in 1994, has had a storied political career, including a tenure as an AAP MLA from Chandni Chowk before returning to the Congress in 2019. She famously clashed with AAP over its resolution to revoke Rajiv Gandhi’s Bharat Ratna, a move she publicly opposed.
Atishi, a key figure in the AAP, has held the Kalkaji seat since 2015 and took over as Delhi’s Chief Minister in September 2024 following Kejriwal’s resignation. Kalkaji is considered an AAP stronghold, adding further significance to the high-stakes contest between the two women leaders.
As the 2025 Assembly elections draw closer, both Congress and AAP have announced their candidates, with Congress releasing a list of 47 contenders for the 70-member Assembly. The battle for Delhi is poised to be a fierce one, with Congress aiming to re-establish its presence and AAP striving to retain its dominance in the capital.
