2nd AAP councillor who filed papers for Delhi mayoral polls revokes candidacy

AAP councillor from Chittaranjan Park Ashu Thakur and Shalimar Bagh councillor Jalaj Kumar had filed their nomination papers for the January 6 mayoral polls on Tuesday, prompting BJP allegations of a split in the AAP

Two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors who had filed their nominations for the post of MCD Mayor and deputy mayor against the party’s official nominees withdrew their papers on Wednesday.

The elections s for the post of MCD Mayor and deputy mayor will be held on January 6 at the first meeting of the House. (HT Archive)

AAP councillor from Chittaranjan Park Ashu Thakur and Shalimar Bagh councillor Jalaj Kumar had filed their nomination papers for the January 6 mayoral polls on Tuesday, prompting BJP allegations of a split in the AAP.

The AAP’s official nominees -- Shelley Oberoi for Mayor and Aaley Iqbal -- had already filed their nominations for the crucial polls. The BJP has fielded Rekha Gupta and Kamal Bagdi for the two mayoral posts.

MCD municipal secretary Bhagwan Singh on Wednesday confirmed that the additional nominations by AAP councillors have been withdrawn.

Thakur rejected speculations of a rift in the party ahead of the mayoral polls, and added that they were only covering for the official nominees.

“We were covering candidates only, and after the nomination of our official Mayor and deputy mayor candidates were accepted we withdrew our nominations. We will support the official candidates of AAP in the election,” said Thakur.

Meanwhile, the BJP alleged that AAP’s MCD councillor group was “a divided house which will reflect in Mayor and other election results”. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, “It’s clear that Ashu Thakur & Jalaj Kumar had filed their nominations of their own will. The forms for MCD election are checked by officials at the time of filing so there is no question of them being rejected later and no need for a covering candidate.”