AAP leaders file nomination for polls to three Delhi Rajya Sabha seats

Delhi’s three Rajya Sabha seats, currently held by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will become vacant on January 27

The three Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders picked by their party for the Rajya Sabha elections — former Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal, and sitting parliamentarians Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta — on Monday filed their nomination papers at the office of the returning officer for the polls.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 4 in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case, and is currently in judicial custody, was renominated by the party. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Delhi’s three Rajya Sabha seats, currently held by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will become vacant on January 27, when the MPs’ six-year term expires. Nominations for the seats began on January 3, and January 9 is the last date for nominations.

Since the AAP has 62 of the 70 seats in the Delhi assembly, all three AAP nominees are set to be elected.

Singh, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 4 in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case, and is currently in judicial custody, on Monday arrived at the Civil Lines office of transport commissioner Ashish Kundra — the returning officer for the polls — in a prison van at around 11am and filed his nomination papers. Singh, in an affidavit submitted before the returning officer, declared total moveable assets of ₹31.2 lakh, zero immovable assets, and 17 pending criminal cases against him. He also stated that he has a diploma in mining engineering.

A group of his supporters gathered near Kundra’s office and raised slogans in his support, even as police set up barricades around the complex, and deployed additional security personnel as a precautionary measure. Singh last week sought permission from a Delhi court to sign papers for renomination to the Rajya Sabha, which was granted.

Separately, Maliwal and ND Gupta also filed their nomination papers in the transport commissioner’s office.

Maliwal, 39, in an affidavit declared that she has moveable assets of ₹19.22 lakh, zero immovable assets, and three criminal cases pending against her. After filing her nomination, she said she will raise the voice of the people of Delhi in Rajya Sabha.

“I am very emotional. I want to thank Arvind Kejriwal, (former deputy chief minister) Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh. The agitation that started in 2006 will now go to the Parliament. I will try to raise my voice loudly in the Parliament, representing 20 million Delhi residents,” she said.

According to an affidavit submitted by ND Gupta, he has moveable assets of ₹4.14 crore, ₹7 crore in immovable assets, and zero criminal cases pending against him.

“I thank Arvind Kejriwal for once again giving me the opportunity. I have done a lot of work in the current tenure and will try to do better in the next tenure as well,” he said.

Last week, AAP leaders said that Sushil Kumar Gupta — the party’s Haryana unit president, who was not renominated to the Upper House — will now focus on state politics. “Sushil Kumar Gupta has conveyed his aspiration to actively engage in the vibrant electoral landscape of Haryana, and we respect his decision to pursue this path,” a senior AAP leader had said.

The leader had added that the AAP was looking to reinforce its organisational strength in Haryana ahead of state polls.