The Aam Aadmi Social gathering (AAP) on Sunday introduced its fourth and closing checklist of 38 candidates for the Delhi meeting elections, changing into the primary main get together to declare all 70 contenders. Social gathering chief Arvind Kejriwal will contest from New Delhi constituency for the fourth consecutive time, whereas chief minister Atishi will search re-election from Kalkaji.
The newest checklist confirms a key technique, reported by HT on December 8, to counter anti-incumbency by dropping 20 sitting MLAs and shifting senior leaders, akin to Manish Sisodia from his conventional Patparganj seat in East Delhi, which he has held since 2013, to Jangpura in South Delhi.
The ultimate checklist was launched after Kejriwal chaired a gathering of the get together’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC). “In the present day Aam Aadmi Social gathering introduced its candidates on all 70 seats. The get together is contesting the elections with full confidence and full preparation. BJP is lacking,” Kejriwal mentioned in a publish on X. He criticized the BJP for missing imaginative and prescient, saying, “They don’t have any CM face, no workforce, no planning and no imaginative and prescient for Delhi. They’ve just one slogan, just one coverage and just one mission – ‘Take away Kejriwal’.”
The BJP is but to announce any candidate. A Delhi BJP chief mentioned that the partly is making sturdy preparations with leaders visiting folks. “The primary checklist of the BJP shall be introduced quickly,” mentioned the BJP chief, asking to not be named.
The Congress introduced its first checklist of 21 candidates on December 12.
The fourth AAP checklist contains well being minister Saurabh Bhardwaj contesting from Higher Kailash and Somnath Bharti from Malviya Nagar, each for the fourth consecutive time. Different distinguished candidates within the newest announcement embody Shoaib Iqbal for Matia Mahal and Durgesh Pathak for Rajinder Nagar.
Two sitting MLAs have been changed on this spherical. Kasturba Nagar MLA Madan Lal has been dropped in favour of Ramesh Pehalwan, described by Kejriwal as a “very lively social employee.” In Uttam Nagar, MLA Naresh Balyan, lately rearrested beneath MCOCA following an extortion case, has been changed by his spouse Pooja Naresh Balyan.
Ministers retaining their seats within the closing checklist embody Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat (Sultanpur Majra), Raghuvinder Shokeen (Nangloi Jat), Imran Hussain (Ballimaran), and Gopal Rai (Babarpur). Former minister Satyendar Jain, who spent practically two years in jail in a cash laundering case earlier than receiving bail in October, will contest from Shakur Basti for the fourth time.
The ultimate checklist additionally contains Sanjeev Jha (Burari), Ajesh Yadav (Badli), Mohinder Goyal (Rithala), Jai Bhagwan (Bawana), Bandana Kumari (Shalimar Bagh), Preeti Tomar (Tri Nagar), Rajesh Gupta (Wazirpur), Akhilesh Pati Tripathi (Mannequin City), Som Dutt (Sadar Bazar), Vishesh Ravi (Karol Bagh), and Shiv Charan Goel (Moti Nagar).
Different candidates introduced embody Jarnail Singh (Tilak Nagar), Vinay Mishra (Dwarka), Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli), Dinesh Mohaniya (Sangam Vihar), Amanatullah Khan (Okhla), Kuldeep Kumar (Kondli), Virender Singh Kadian (Delhi Cantonment), Sahi Ram (Tughlakabad), and Pramila Tokas (RK Puram).
In its earlier lists, two MLAs – SK Bagga (Krishna Nagar) and Parlad Singh Sawhney (Chandni Chowk) – had been changed by their sons. The get together additionally fielded former opponents, together with defeated BJP candidate Parvesh Ratan in Patel Nagar, Anil Jha in Kirari, and Brahm Singh Tanwar in Chhatarpur.
The get together has dropped a complete of 20 sitting MLAs throughout all 4 lists, together with two who opted out – Shahdara MLA Ram Niwas Goel, who’s the Speaker, and Timarpur MLA Dilip Pandey.
An AAP chief mentioned the choices had been based mostly on floor suggestions and a number of surveys assessing efficiency and recognition.
Social gathering leaders acquainted with the matter mentioned their inner surveys confirmed that whereas a sizeable portion of voters needed Kejriwal again as CM, there was discontent in opposition to some legislators. The technique seems geared toward pushing the burden of native non-performance onto MLAs whereas safeguarding model Kejriwal.
Whereas election dates are but to be introduced, the present meeting’s time period expires on February 23, with polls anticipated by mid-February.
AAP at the moment holds 58 seats within the meeting, down from the 62 it received in 2020, following the resignation or disqualification of 4 members. The BJP holds the remaining eight seats. The Congress, regardless of failing to win any seats in 2015 and 2020, is working to revive its presence.
The get together faces growing allegations of economic misconduct and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Latest developments embody Kejriwal stepping down as Delhi’s chief minister in September, with Atishi taking up the management.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva criticised Kejriwal’s claims of improvement: “Kejriwal’s corrupt imaginative and prescient and teamwork have made Delhi a mannequin of water and air air pollution, dilapidated roads and sewers, crumbling transport, and dysfunctional well being and training methods.” He added that the get together’s greatest achievements had been “corruption scandals just like the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ bungalow & the liquor rip-off,” predicting that Delhi’s voters would train AAP “a political lesson within the February 2025 Meeting elections.”
