In a significant reshuffle ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections early next year, the Congress on Sunday appointed Qazi Mohd Nizamuddin as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Delhi, replacing Deepak Babaria. The move is part of the party’s strategy to strengthen its position in the upcoming electoral battle.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also constituted a three-member screening committee to oversee candidate selection for the elections. The committee will be chaired by Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan, with Imran Masood and Pradeep Narwal as members.

In a statement, the Congress expressed gratitude to the outgoing Delhi in-charge. “Hon'ble Congress President has appointed Shri Qazi Mohd Nizamuddin as the AICC in-charge of Delhi with immediate effect. The party appreciates the contributions of Shri Deepak Babaria as the General Secretary in charge of Delhi. The Hon'ble Congress President has also constituted the Screening Committee for the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi, as follows, with immediate effect,” the statement read.

The Delhi Assembly elections are expected to be a three-way contest involving the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress.

Meanwhile, AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday targeted opposition parties for adopting the welfare policies AAP had championed. “Those parties who used to abuse us for our schemes are using the same schemes to seek votes across the country,” he said during a Dangal program in Karala village, Mundka constituency.

Kejriwal highlighted his government’s achievements as it approaches its 10-year milestone. “The AAP government is completing 10 years in Delhi, and the kind of work that happened here is being discussed in every corner of the country,” he said.

He listed free electricity and water, infrastructure development, and improvements in education and healthcare as some of AAP’s key initiatives. “We have worked for the poor, lower-middle, and middle-class people. We made electricity and water free for the poor and middle class. We made such schools that you won’t find anywhere. Over 4 lakh students from private schools got themselves enrolled in government schools. We opened mohalla clinics for the people. We made buses free for women. Delhi has electricity for 24 hours. There is no other place that has 24 hours of electricity,” Kejriwal added.

In other developments, the Delhi Assembly is set to convene its Winter Session from November 29 to December 3, according to a notification issued by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat on Monday.

As the electoral season heats up, Congress and AAP are positioning themselves to capture voter attention, promising a fierce battle for Delhi’s leadership.