Lok Sabha ticket to Rakhi Birla triggers protest in AAP

NEW DELHI: Protests sparked by Aam Aadmi Party's decision to field former women and child development minister Rakhi Birla in West Delhi constituency show no sign of abating. Birla, one of AAP's prominent Dalit faces, had replaced Mahendra Singh as the candidate for the seat on Tuesday.

A section of party workers that had earlier gone on a hunger strike to ensure Birla, MLA from Mangolpuri, didn't get the Lok Sabha ticket, has been leading the protest. On Wednesday evening, amid conflicting views, they indicated that another fast would be held outside the AAP headquarters from Thursday.

Singh's candidature was officially withdrawn on Tuesday after a police case against him came to light. Singh, however, alleged that Birla had refused to support his campaign and had demanded Rs 7 lakh to work with him. "I had been visiting one constituency after another. When it was Mangolpuri's turn, two of my volunteers met Birla to sort out the campaign details. However, she said she does not know me and I would have to give her Rs 7 lakh for campaigning. Later, her brother said I had deprived her of the West Delhi seat and should touch her feet in apology," said Singh.

While Singh claims the party brass did not take him seriously, AAP said he had not informed it about the case against him. "It was a small case but this goes against the principles on which AAP is giving tickets. Birla was selected even though the party had refused to field sitting MLAs because it is too late to find another candidate," said a source.

Despite repeated attempts, Birla was not available for comments.

Her promotion will definitely cause a lot of heartburn among other MLAs who have been denied a shot at a Lok Sabha seat. Sandeep Hooda, a protester, said, "We are not pro-Singh or anti-Birla. We only want other people to get a chance".