AAP bucks own trend: No voter signs for candidates

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti, who is accused of molestation and outraging modesty of women in the Khirki Extension raid controversy, has found a place in the first list of candidates for upcoming assembly elections declared by Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday.

He will seek re-election from Malviya Nagar constituency in south Delhi.

The party has declared candidates for 22 assembly seats. Other ministers in the list include Satyendra Jain (health), Saurabh Bhardwaj (transport) and Girish Soni (labour). Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Rakhi Birla do not figure in it. AAP members said no new faces are in the first list and only sitting MLAs and those who contested earlier have been included.

"The accusations against Bharti are fabricated and done with malafide intention. We have seen the video footage of the incident that took place on the intervening night of January 15 and 16," said Ashutosh, AAP's national spokesperson. He was referring to the footage that allegedly showed Bharti leading a group of supporters and asking the police to raid a house in Khirki Extension where some African women were living.

BJP, on the other hand, was quick to attack AAP on the issue. "By giving him (Bharti) the party ticket, AAP has not only undermined the judicial system but also insulted the women. It is a matter of shame that a party which preaches high moral standards violates the same unabashedly," the party stated.

AAP is likely to release its second list of candidates in the next seven days. Sources said the name of Rakhi Birla, who contested from northwest Delhi constituency in Lok Sabha elections, may also figure in the second list. "Kejriwal's name will also be declared when the process is completed," said an AAP member. He said the party would contest the polls on the issues of water, electricity, development, health and education.

In the last elections, AAP had selected candidates who had attached signatures of 100 voters in their constituencies along with their applications, but it didn't adopt such a process this time. In these polls, the party has dropped the process of getting signatures of voters.

"AAP has formed a probe committee led by party's senior member Anand Kumar. It will look at allegations which emerge against any candidate during elections. If the allegation is proved, the party may cancel the ticket at the last moment," said Sanjay Singh, member, AAP's political affairs committee (PAC).

AAP won 28 seats in the assembly polls held in December last year but BJP was the largest party with 32 seats, including a lone Shiromani Akali Dal nominee. Though election surveys show the voter sentiment tilting in favour of BJP, particularly the middle class, the party maintains it will get an absolute majority. "We will win 40-45 seats," Kejriwal said on Wednesday.

The party, which was borne out of public protests, will hold meetings with the public at Jantar Mantar beginning this Saturday to draw up a 50-point blueprint for a five-year government, if re-elected to power in Delhi.