AAP picks Maliwal for Rajya Sabha; renominates Sanjay Singh

The nominations were announced by the party’s political affairs committee, chaired by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday nominated Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal to the Rajya Sabha, and renominated sitting parliamentarians Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta for second terms in the Upper House.

Swati Maliwal served as DCW chairperson since 2015 (HT Photo)

Singh is in jail for his alleged role in corruption linked to the Delhi excise policy 2021-22. He has denied all charges and the party has said the case, being investigated by both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, stems from “political vendetta”

The nominations to the Upper House were announced by the party’s political affairs committee chaired by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the AAP’s national convener.

“DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal has been nominated for the first time. The PAC has decided to continue with Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta for their respective second term as Rajya Sabha members,” the party said in a statement.

However, sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Gupta — the AAP’s Haryana state president — has been dropped.

Delhi’s three Rajya Sabha seats, all held by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will become vacant on January 27, when the MPs’ six-year terms end. Nominations for the seats began on Wednesday. January 9 is the last date for nominations; the scrutiny of nominations will take place on January 10; the last day for the withdrawal of candidatures will be January 12; and polling will take place on January 19 between 9am and 4pm.

Since the AAP has 62 of the 70 seats in the Delhi assembly, the party has sufficient number of MLAs in the assembly to ensure all three elections.

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

Hours after she was nominated to the Upper House, Maliwal resigned as DCW chief. In a post on X, she wrote, “Saw many ups and downs while here. Dedicated his every day to the welfare of Delhi and the country. The fight is not over, it is just beginning…”

Maliwal served as DCW chairperson since 2015, and it was not immediately known who will replace her.

Meanwhile, Singh, who was taken into ED custody on October 4, on Friday sought permission from a Delhi court to sign his papers for renomination to Rajya Sabha, which was granted.

Singh was among those involved in creating the AAP in 2012. He is also a member of the party’s political affairs committee.

ND Gupta is a practising chartered accountant and a former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). He is also the national treasurer of the AAP.

Party leaders said that Sushil Kumar Gupta 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 said.

The leader said that the AAP is looking to reinforce its organisational strength in Haryana, and prepare for assembly polls.