Rajya Sabha polls: AAP’s picks elected unopposed in Delhi

The term of the three sitting AAP Rajya Sabha MPs from Delhi — Sanjay Singh, Narain Dass Gupta, Sushil Gupta — who were elected in 2018, will end on January 27

Jailed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal and chartered accountant Narain Dass Gupta were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Delhi on Friday, as no candidate from any other party has filed nomination, officials aware of the matter said.

Swati Maliwal and ND Gupta accompanied by Sanjay Singh’s wife, Anita Singh, outside the DM’s office on Friday. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Singh, 52, who is in jail in connection with the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED’s) money laundering probe into the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case, and Gupta, 78, are the sitting Rajya Sabha MPs who have been re-elected. Maliwal, 39, has been elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time.

Returning officer Ashish Kundra, Delhi’s transport commissioner, said, “Certificates of election were given to all three of them.”

The term of the three sitting AAP Rajya Sabha MPs from Delhi — Singh, Gupta and Sushil Gupta — who were elected in 2018, will end on January 27. AAP dropped Gupta as he is now focusing on strengthening the party’s base in Haryana.

AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi assembly where the BJP holds only eight seats. AAP had enough numbers in the assembly to ensure the victory of the three nominees.

The three AAP candidates filed their nominations on January 8 in the office of the returning officer. Singh arrived in a prison van after he was allowed by a local court to visit the office to file his nomination papers.

According to an affidavit submitted by Singh before the returning officer, the AAP leader and his wife have a total moveable assets of ₹31.2 lakh, zero immovable assets and 17 pending criminal cases. He did a diploma in mining engineering in 1993.

According to an affidavit submitted by Maliwal, she has a total moveable assets of ₹19.22 lakh, zero immovable assets and three pending criminal cases. Maliwal obtained a B Tech degree in 2006.

According to an affidavit submitted by Gupta, he has a total moveable assets of ₹4.14 crore, and ₹7 crore immovable assets and zero pending criminal cases. Gupta is a practicing chartered accountant and a former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He is currently the AAP national treasurer of and his role has been crucial in helping the party in bookkeeping even before he was first sent to the Rajya Sabha.

Gupta said, “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.”

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.

The nomination papers of the three candidates were scrutinised on January 10 and Friday was the last day of withdrawal. As no candidate withdrew their nomination papers and there was no contest, the three AAP nominees were declared winners.