AAP picks DCW chief Swati Maliwal for Rajya Sabha, re-nominates Sanjay Singh

Sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Gupta has been dropped, and he will now focus on Haryana politics, said party officials. Gupta is currently the AAP’s state president in Haryana

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday nominated Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal for Rajya Sabha and re-nominated sitting Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta for the second term, party officials said.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal (Twitter Photo)

The announcement was made by the political affairs committee chaired by Delhi chief minister party chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Gupta has been dropped, and he will now focus on Haryana politics, said party officials. Gupta is currently the AAP’s state president in Haryana. His tenure as a member of the Rajya Sabha will end this month, and it will make way for Maliwal.

“Sushil Kumar Gupta has conveyed his aspiration to engage in the vibrant electoral landscape of Haryana actively, and we respect his decision to pursue this path,” a senior AAP leader said.

Sanjay Singh, who is in jail in connection with the ED’s money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case, on Friday sought permission from a Delhi court to sign his papers for re-nomination to the Rajya Sabha, which was granted to him.

Special judge MK Nagpal passed the order on an application filed by the politician. Singh’s term as the Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament ends on January 27.

DCW chief Maliwal has been an active advocate for women’s rights and social issues. She has been associated with various campaigns and movements aimed at combating violence against women, advocating for stricter laws, and promoting gender equality.

In 2015, she was appointed as the DCW chairperson, where she has been instrumental in spearheading initiatives to address issues such as acid attacks, sexual harassment, and women’s safety in Delhi.

Her dedication to women’s welfare and tireless efforts in advocating for their rights have made her a prominent figure in the realm of social activism in India.

The nominations for three Rajya Sabha seats for Delhi began on January 3, and the poll will be held on January 19. The AAP currently has 62 MLAs in the Delhi assembly, and the BJP has eight.

According to the election commission’s notification, January 9 is the last date for filing the nominations. The scrutiny of nominations will be done on January 10. The last day for the withdrawal of candidatures is January 12, and polling will take place on January 19 between 9am and 4pm, according to the election commission.

Delhi’s transport commissioner Ashish Kundra has been appointed as returning officer for the poll, while deputy secretary of the Delhi assembly, Neeraj Aggarwal, has been appointed assistant returning officer.

Nominations will be filed in the office of Kundra, and he will scrutinise nominations and conduct the election as the returning officer.

Meanwhile, hitting out at the AAP for re-nominating Singh for the RS seat, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secretary Harish Khurana said the Singh re-nomination has exposed AAP’s claims of honesty.

“Before coming to politics, Kejriwal used to say that after allegations are levelled leaders should resign and an investigation should be carried. The court has rejected Singh’s bail plea, despite that he has been re-nominated,” said Khurana.

Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, leader of the Opposition in the Delhi assembly, said that instead of working for the people’s welfare, the AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs wasted six years abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“They could have worked for the people, but they did nothing. Sanjay Singh is in jail for the liquor scam while the people do not know about the two other MPs because they were never seen doing anything worthwhile,” said Bidhuri.