AAP releases first list for Delhi assembly election

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday released its first list of 11 candidates for the Delhi assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held in February next year, naming six candidates who switched to the party from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress and dropping three sitting legislators.
The list includes 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 other five 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 released the names after a meeting of the party’s political affairs committee (PAC) at former chief minister and party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s house.
This makes the AAP the first off the block to announce candidates for the polls, the dates for which are still to be announced.
“The candidates for these seats were announced in the first list to give a push to the ongoing election campaign in these seats,” said Rai.
The current term of Delhi assembly ends on February 23, 2025.
The AAP won 62 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly in the February 2020 assembly elections, and the BJP won the other eight.
However, three AAP leaders either resigned or were disqualified, bringing the party’s strength in the House down to 59. The BJP’s Ramvir Singh Bidhuri resigned after winning the South Delhi seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, bringing his party’s strength down to seven.
Five of the 11 candidates were fielded in constituencies currently represented by the BJP: Karawal Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Vishwas Nagar, Ghonda, and Rohtas Nagar. Three of the remaining seats are currently vacant: Badarpur (earlier held by Bidhuri), Seemapuri (sitting MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam resigned), and Chhatarpur (sitting MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar disqualified under anti-defection laws).
The three sitting MLAs the AAP dropped are Gulab Singh (Matiala), Abdul Rehman (Seelampur) and Rituraj Jha (Kirari).
Rai said: “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 question, Rai also stated that the AAP leadership is in touch with its leaders to ensure there is no rebellion within the party.
He also 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 said.
Responding to the development, the BJP said that when a party names so many “outsiders” among its candidates, it is clear that the party leadership has understood the anti-incumbency sentiment.
“Kejriwal should understand that his departure from Delhi is now certain and will happen soon,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
Meanwhile, the Congress alleged that the list reflects 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 said.