Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday (December 15) released the list of its final 38 candidates who will contest upcoming Delhi Legislative Assembly elections. The elections are expected to take place early next year. The list AAP released on Sunday says that AAP’s national convenor and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will contest from New Delhi assembly seat while current CM Atishi will contest election from Kalkaji seat. State government minister Saurabh Bharadwaj will vie for Greater Kailash while Gopal Rai, another minister in the state government will stand in Babarpur.
Thirty-six out of 38 names in the list are the sitting MLAs. The party has given a chance to two new names. These are: Ramesh Pehalwan from Kasturba Nagar and Naresh Balyan’s wife Pooja Balyan.
Ramesh Pehelwan joined AAP from BJP on Sunday along with his wife Kusumlaya Ramesh. Arvind Kejriwal was present when the two joined AAP.
His are the names and constituencies of candidates in the fourth and final list.
As it looks to retain power in Delhi with slogan ‘Fir Layenge Kejriwal’, AAP has decided to jump into elections solo. The party earlier ruled out alliance with Congress.
In 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, AAP won 62 out of 70 seats in the Delhi assembly. BJP won the rest 8. Congress in past, has held power in Delhi for 15 consecutive years. But it has fared very poorly in last two assembly elections. AAP on the the other hand has been able to secure near total victories.
However, AAP’s relations with successive lieutenant governors of Delhi have been fraught. Kejriwal has in past alleged that the lieutenant governors have been acting on cues from BJP. The BJP denies the allegation.
