AAP drops 15 MLAs, fields many former Congress leaders

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party released its list of candidates for 70-member Delhi Assembly on Tuesday fielding old organisational hands Dilip Pandey and Durgesh Pathak and entrants from Congress.

Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP dropped 15 sitting MLAs while retaining 46 and fielding new candidates in nine seats.

In the 2015 Assembly elections, AAP had won 67 of 70 seats. This time, the party is battling an obvious anti-incumbency and a resurgent BJP. At such a time, it has banked upon its old hands and has fielded Pandey from Timarpur replacing Pankaj Pushkar, a vocal critic of the party now.


The party has also fielded Aatishi Marlena and Raghav Chadha, who are fresh out of a humiliating defeat in Lok Sabha elections.

All ministers, including chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have retained their constituencies. Kejriwal would contest from New Delhi and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia from Patparganj. Congress' Shoaib Iqbal, Dhanwati Chandela, PS Sawhney and BSP's Ram Singh Netaji have also got tickets.