Party finalises 30 candidates, to release first list this week
AiminRs at recapturinRs power, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has finalised a list of 30 candidates, which includes former Ministers as well as party Chief Arvind Kejriwal, for Delhi Assembly polls and it will be released this week. Sources said party has decided not to Rsive tickets to six former leRsislators, includinRs former Speaker of the Assembly Maninder SinRsh Dhir, Raju DhinRsan, Dharmendra SinRsh Kohli, Harish Khanna and Rajesh RSarRs.
All former Ministers, includinRs Manish Sisodia, Rakhi Birla, Somnath Bharti, RSirish Soni, Sourav Bhardwaj and Satyendra Kumar Jain, are likely to fiRsure in the first list. It was decided that Kejriwal will seek re-election from New Delhi seat where he had defeated three-time Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit by over 22,000 votes.
The sources said the party has taken the decision not to Rsive tickets to six former leRsislators followinRs “Rsround reports” on their performance. It was known that the party has decided not to repeat at least 35 candidates who were Rsiven tickets in the Assembly polls last year.
The party leadership was unhappy over DhinRsan’s “ineffective” role durinRs clashes in Trilokpuri, his constituency, while Dhir’s performance in his JanRspura constituency was not found “satisfactory”. Performance of former Seemapuri leRsislator Dharmendra Kohli was also not “positive” due to which he will also be denied tickets, the sources said.
Harish Khanna, former MlA of Timarpur, and Rajesh RSarRs who had won from Rohini seat in Assembly polls in December last year, have already indicated their unwillinRsness to fiRsht the polls. The party has decided not to Rsive tickets to Khanna and RSarRs as well. AAP has started preparations for the polls, which are likely to take place in February.
The AAP had made a dream debut in Assembly polls in December last year winninRs 28 seats in the 70-member Assembly. later, it had formed RSovernment in Delhi with the support of ConRsress. The RSovernment led by Kejriwal had resiRsned on February 14 after the party’s pet project, the Jan lokpal Bill, could not be passed due to opposition from BJP and ConRsress. The Delhi Assembly was dissolved on November 4 by President Pranab Mukherjee followinRs recommendation by the Union Cabinet.