AAP Releases Final Candidate List For Delhi Polls; Kejriwal To Contest New Delhi, CM Atishi From Kalkaji

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has released its fourth and final list of 38 candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections on Sunday, 15th December.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal will contest from the New Delhi constituency, while Chief Minister Atishi will once again stand for the Kalkaji seat. Saurabh Bharadwaj has been nominated for the Greater Kailash constituency.

Photo Credit: PTI

In a notable change, Ramesh Pehlwan has replaced sitting MLA Madan Lal in Kasturba Nagar. Ramesh and his wife, councillor Kusum Lata, joined AAP earlier the same day after leaving the BJP.

Key candidates include Gopal Rai (Babarpur), Amanatullah Khan (Okhla), and Satyendra Kumar Jain (Shakur Basti). A major contest will take place in the New Delhi constituency, where Sandeep Dikshit, son of the late Sheila Dikshit, has been fielded by Congress.

Here is our fourth and final list for upcoming Delhi Elections ‼️

Congratulations to all the candidates 🎉

फिर लायेंगे केजरीवाल 🔥💯 pic.twitter.com/YVgypI9mR9

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) December 15, 2024

This move is expected to reignite a historic rivalry in the seat where Sheila Dikshit, a three-time Delhi Chief Minister, lost to Kejriwal in 2013 and 2015. For Sandeep Dikshit, this election serves as an opportunity to reclaim his family's legacy.

AAP Denies Tickets to 20 Sitting MLAs

AAP has denied tickets to 20 sitting MLAs. In three cases, family members of former MLAs have been nominated: Vikas Bagga, son of SK Bagga, will contest from Krishna Nagar; Puran Deep Sahni, son of Prahlad Sahni, from Chandni Chowk; and Pooja Balyan, wife of Naresh Balyan, will stand in Uttam Nagar.

In the party's earlier candidate lists, several nominees included leaders who had defected from the BJP and Congress.

आज आम आदमी पार्टी ने सभी 70 सीटों पर अपने उम्मीदवार घोषित कर दिए। पार्टी पूरे आत्मविश्वास और पूरी तैयारी के साथ चुनाव लड़ रही है।

बीजेपी गायब है। उनके पास ना CM चेहरा है, ना टीम है, ना प्लानिंग है और ना दिल्ली के लिए कोई विज़न है। उनका केवल एक ही नारा है, केवल एक ही नीति है और… https://t.co/OQ4ehsfKHY

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 15, 2024

Following the announcement of the final list, Arvind Kejriwal shared on X: "Today, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced its candidates for all 70 seats. The party is contesting the elections with full confidence and thorough preparation. The BJP is nowhere to be seen. They have no CM face, no team, no planning, and no vision for Delhi. They have only one slogan, one policy, and one mission-'Remove Kejriwal'."

"When asked what they have done in the past five years, their only response is-'We criticised Kejriwal a lot.' Our party, on the other hand, has a vision for Delhi's development, a plan, and a strong, educated team to implement it. We also have a long list of accomplishments over the past ten years. Delhiites will vote for those who work, not those who only hurl abuses," he added.

Kejriwal is Hope: Manish Sisodia

AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also posted on X: "With the announcement of candidates for all 70 seats in Delhi, the party has entered the election arena with full force. Under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, we are reaching out to the people, asking for five more years to build upon the progress made in education, healthcare, electricity, and water. On the other hand, the BJP remains confused. They have no issues, no leader, and no vision for the people of Delhi. Kejriwal is the hope, and Kejriwal is the trust. The development and bright future of Delhi are only possible with Arvind Kejriwal at the helm."

Solo Strategy for AAP

Elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly are expected to take place in January 2025. AAP has announced it will contest the elections independently, as it did during the Lok Sabha polls, relying on its track record of governance and strong grassroots support to retain power.