NEW DELHI: Outpacing its political rivals, the AAP on Thursday unveiled the first list of candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Even before the dates of the Assembly polls have been announced, the Aam Aadmi Party released the list of 22 candidates. The party may release its second list of candidates in the next seven days.
In the first list, the names of party top brass -- Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and former social welfare minister Rakhi Birla -- did not figure, but four former ministers’ names were included in the list.
Delhi’s former law minister Somnath Bharti, former health minister Satyendra Jain, former transport minister Saurabh Bhardawaj and former labour minister Girish Soni made it to the first list.
Though Bharti had been chargesheeted for molestation and other offences in a case pertaining to his purported midnight raid on a house where some African women were residing, the party gave him ticket.
AAP political affairs committee member Sanjay Singh said, “The former law minister was innocent. He had gone there on the request of local people and tried to help them in busting a prostitution and drug racket.”
In the first list, the party has not included any new face. While 12 candidates who won the last Assembly polls will be fielded from their respective constituencies, the remaining 10 who came “second” have been retained.
The party has formed a probe committee, led by a senior leader Anand Kumar, to look into allegations which could be emerged against candidates during the polls.
“If the allegation is proved, party can even cancel their ticket at the last moment,” Singh said.
Among the sitting MLAs, apart from ministers, who have again been given tickets are Manoj Kumar from Kondli, Jagdeep from Hari Nagar, Jarnail Singh from Tilak Nagar, Vishesh Ravi from Karol Bagh, Sanjeev Jha from Burari, Bandana Kumari from Shalimar Bagh, Som Dutt from Sadar Bazar and Commando Surender from Delhi Cantt.