NEW DELHI, Dec 15: Following the release of AAP’s final candidate list for the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi, party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is standing for election in the New Delhi constituency, criticized the BJP, claiming that the party lacks a chief ministerial candidate.
On Sunday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) unveiled its final slate of 38 candidates for the Assembly elections scheduled for February, with Kejriwal contesting from New Delhi and Chief Minister Atishi securing her position in Kalkaji.
In a post on X in Hindi, Kejriwal remarked, “We are entering the elections with complete confidence and thorough preparation. The BJP is absent. They have no CM candidate, no team, no strategy, and no vision for Delhi. Their only aim is to ‘Remove Kejriwal’. When asked what they accomplished in the last five years, they respond, ‘Kejriwal ko bahut gaali di’ (cursed Kejriwal a lot).”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has yet to reveal its candidates, is reportedly considering Parvesh Verma, son of the late former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, to run against Kejriwal in New Delhi.
The Congress party has announced 21 candidates, including Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who will challenge Kejriwal in New Delhi.
Despite both parties being part of the INDIA alliance, Kejriwal has repeatedly dismissed the possibility of an alliance with Congress.
As AAP aims for a third consecutive term in the national capital, it has nominated its senior leaders from their home constituencies.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai will run from Babarpur, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj from Greater Kailash, and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain from Shakur Basti.
Moreover, ministers Raghuvinder Shokeen and Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat will contest from Nangloi Jat and Sultanpur Majra, respectively.
Additional candidates include Sanjeev Jha from Burari, Ajesh Yadav from Badli, and Durgesh Pathak from Rajinder Nagar, with Amanatullah Khan contesting from Okhla.
According to an earlier list, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been assigned to Jangpura, while newcomer Avadh Ojha will contest from Sisodia’s former constituency, Patparganj.
The Congress party has nominated Anil Kumar from Patparganj.
In the previous 2020 elections, AAP won 62 out of 70 seats in Delhi, reinforcing its stronghold on the capital’s politics.
The upcoming elections are anticipated to serve as a crucial evaluation of the party’s governance model and its resonance with the electorate. (AGENCIES)
