Delhi elections: Discontent brews among AAP workers; feel entrants from BJP, Congress preferred

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party’s selection of certain candidates for the assembly elections to Delhi has rubbed a section of its functionaries the wrong way. They are upset that entrants from BJP and Congress have been preferred over party workers.

According to sources, AAP’s second list of about 15 names, which will be declared this week, will feature several political crossovers from other parties who had joined AAP during the Lok Sabha elections. For instance, the party will field ex-BJP MLA Ram Nivas Goyal in Shahadra, BSP councilor Sahi Ram in Tughlaqabad, Ved Prakash, who was a member of Congress and BJP, in Bawana, former Congress member Aseem Khan in Matia Mahal and RLD councilor Imran Husain in Ballimaran.

AAP had fielded about 15 political crossovers in its first Delhi assembly election last year. “Back then, we did not have an option because we were a new political party. The problem is that we are continuing to look for outsiders when there are equally good options within the party,” said a senior AAP functionary who did not wish to be identified.

According to this senior, the lack ‘political promotion’ has disheartened workers in seats such as Tughlaqabad and Shahadra.