Delhi assembly election: More former MLAs to miss Aam Aadmi Party ticket

NEW DELHI: Two or three more former MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party may find their names missing from the final list of candidates for the next Delhi assembly election. Of the 70 candidates, only 35 or so candidates from the 2013 assembly election, including former MLAs, are expected to be repeated. The party's second list of candidates will be announced after November 24.

AAP declared its first list of 22 candidates, including 12 former MLAs, on November 13. While it has not been announced formally, five MLAs were told shortly before the list was released that they will not be getting tickets this time. Another MLA whose name was doing the rounds as the sixth one to be dropped from the list, Raju Dhingan from Trilokpuri, is being reconsidered. "The only complaint against Dhingan was that he failed to respond on time to the communal violence that broke out in his constituency around Diwali. The reports are also conflicting. His case is under review," said a senior functionary.

The five who have been dropped include former speaker Maninder Singh Dhir from Jangpura who since then has announced his interest in joining BJP, Dharmendra Koli from Seemapuri, Veena Anand from Patel Nagar, Rajesh Garg from Rohini and Harish Khanna from Timarpur. Garg and Khanna had by then already declared that they will not be contesting. Candidates for these constituencies have not been declared yet.

Sources within the party say that another three are likely to be axed. "The decision to not field some winning candidates has been based on their performance in their respective constituencies and feedback from volunteers. In some cases, there is credible evidence that members were tending to lean towards BJP which attempted on several occasions to form government by breaking AAP. While none finally broke away from AAP, the fact that they even considered the option is being viewed as a serious problem. The subsequent lists may contain some shockers," said a source.

The next list will be announced after November 24 when Arvind Kejriwal returns from vipassana. Sources said that at least two more lists are expected in the coming days.