The Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP) on Thursday launched its first listing of 11 candidates for the Delhi meeting elections, that are scheduled to be held in February subsequent yr, naming six candidates who switched to the social gathering from the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) and the Congress and dropping three sitting legislators.
AAP nationwide convener Arvind Kejriwal. (PTI)
The listing contains former BJP leaders Anil Jha (fielded from Kirari constituency), BB Tyagi (Laxmi Nagar), and Brahm Singh Tanwar (Chhatarpur), and former Congress leaders Zubair Choudhary (Seelampur), Somesh Shokeen (Matiala) and Vir Singh Dhingan (Seemapuri).
The opposite 5 nominees are Ram Singh Netaji (Badarpur), Sarita Singh (Rohtas Nagar), Gaurav Sharma (Ghonda), Deepak Singhla (Vishwas Nagar), and Manoj Tyagi (Karawal Nagar).
AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai launched the names after a gathering of the social gathering’s political affairs committee (PAC) at former chief minister and social gathering chief Arvind Kejriwal’s home.
This makes the AAP the primary off the block to announce candidates for the polls, the dates for that are nonetheless to be introduced.
“The candidates for these seats were announced in the first list to give a push to the ongoing election campaign in these seats,” stated Rai.
The present time period of Delhi meeting ends on February 23, 2025.
The AAP received 62 seats within the 70-member Delhi meeting within the February 2020 meeting elections, and the BJP received the opposite eight.
Nonetheless, three AAP leaders both resigned or had been disqualified, bringing the social gathering’s energy within the Home right down to 59. The BJP’s Ramvir Singh Bidhuri resigned after successful the South Delhi seat within the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, bringing his social gathering’s energy right down to seven.
5 of the 11 candidates had been fielded in constituencies at present represented by the BJP: Karawal Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Vishwas Nagar, Ghonda, and Rohtas Nagar. Three of the remaining seats are at present vacant: Badarpur (earlier held by Bidhuri), Seemapuri (sitting MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam resigned), and Chhatarpur (sitting MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar disqualified below anti-defection legal guidelines).
The three sitting MLAs the AAP dropped are Gulab Singh (Matiala), Abdul Rehman (Seelampur) and Rituraj Jha (Kirari).
Rai stated: “Kejriwal has already announced that the AAP is selecting candidates on the basis of surveys and feedback from locals. The same process was followed in selecting these 11 candidates. The party received feedback from the seats and chose the best option…. We dropped some MLAs in the previous election as well.”
In response to a query, Rai additionally said that the AAP management is in contact with its leaders to make sure there is no such thing as a rebel inside the social gathering.
He additionally elaborated on the AAP’s preparations for the elections.
“The AAP has been continuously active among the people for the last two months. In the first phase, we informed the people about the work done by the AAP government and the MLAs, and foot marches were organised in all 70 assembly constituencies under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal in the second phase. Kejriwal held direct dialogues with party workers. Now with the announcement of the candidates the AAP has pushed forward the preparations for the upcoming polls… We firmly believe that in the next assembly election the people will re-elect AAP to power in Delhi and push the welfare work of the people,” he stated.
Responding to the event, the BJP stated that when a celebration names so many “outsiders” amongst its candidates, it’s clear that the social gathering management has understood the anti-incumbency sentiment.
“Kejriwal should understand that his departure from Delhi is now certain and will happen soon,” stated Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
In the meantime, the Congress alleged that the listing displays the AAP’s “desperation”.
“That six of the 11 candidates are deserters from other parties it exposes the claims of Kejriwal of having a strong base in Delhi. In reality, the ground beneath the AAP has fully eroded,” Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav stated.