Show of unity: 1 Congress, 3 AAP candidates file nominations in Delhi

141 candidates have filed their nominations for the seven constituencies so far. The final number will be known after the process of withdrawal is over on May 9.

One Congress and three Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates on Saturday filed their nominations for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, scheduled to be held on May 25.

Somnath Bharti at his roadshow in Patel Nagar on Saturday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Veteran Congress leader JP Agarwal filed his nomination from the Chandni Chowk seat, from where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Praveen Khandelwal has already filed his papers.

The three AAP candidates who filed their nominations include Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi, contesting against BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat; Kuldeep Kumar from East Delhi, contesting against BJP’s Harsh Malhotra; and Somnath Bharti from the New Delhi seat, who is up against BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj.

In New Delhi, a lawyer versus lawyer fight will unfold between Bharti and Swaraj.

This leaves only one candidate — Kanhaiya Kumar contesting on a Congress ticket from North East Delhi — who is yet to file his papers. Kumar will contest against BJP’s Manoj Tiwari.

The nominations will be scrutinised on May 7 and can be withdrawn till May 9.

JP Agarwal, accompanied by several Congress and AAP workers, arrived at the district magistrate’s (DM’s) office in Alipur to file his papers as the Chandni Chowk candidate. Delhi assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel, former Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra and former Delhi minister Harun Yusuf accompanied him to the DM’s office. Ahead of submitting his candidature, Agarwal left his home on Prithviraj Road to visit a temple nearby. “This election is a fight to save the country. The INDIA family is united,” he said. Agarwal, 79, declared moveable assets worth ₹76 lakh apart from ₹57 lakh belonging to his wife. He declared immovable assets worth ₹1.78 crore while his wife’s immovable assets are worth ₹10.21 crore. According to his affidavit, Agarwal is a DU graduate and his sources of income include pension, and rental income.

AAP’s West Delhi candidate Mahabal Mishra started his rally from a temple in Raghubir Nagar, which culminated at the West district DM’s office in Rajouri Garden.

“AAP’s guarantee is visible in every household,” said Mishra. Several Congress leaders, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, and cabinet minister Kailash Gahlot were part of Mishra’s rally. Mishra, 69, is a former Congress MP from West Delhi and joined AAP during the 2022 MCD election. According to his affidavit, Mishra’s moveable assets are worth ₹4.16 crore and his wife’s moveable assets worth ₹4 crore. His immovable assets are worth ₹1.6 crore while his wife owns immovable assets are worth ₹92.6 lakh. His sources of income include business, pension, and rental income.

During a rally before filing his nomination, AAP candidate from East Delhi and sitting MLA Kuldeep Kumar took blessings from former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s wife and offered homage to BR Ambedkar. He was joined by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Delhi minister Atishi and MLA Dilip Pandey.

A sitting MLA from the Kondli assembly constituency, Kumar, 35, is a graduate of DU. He has moveable assets worth ₹21.41 lakh apart from assets worth ₹9.44 lakh owned by his wife. Kuldeep does not have any immovable assets but his wife has worth ₹15 lakh. His source of income is his MLA salary, Kumar’s affidavit said. “People are raising voice against dictators who put CM Kejriwal in jail,” said Kumar.

AAP New Delhi candidate Somnath Bharti’s nomination rally started from Patel Nagar to reach the DM office near India Gate. Bharti was joined by Congress functionaries as well, said an AAP official. “It is a people versus BJP election in which both AAP and Congress workers are united,” said Bharti. He arrived at the New Delhi DM office and was joined by AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai, and cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. Bharti is the sitting AAP MLA who has been representing the Malviya Nagar constituency since 2013.

Bharti, 49, is an MSc from IIT Delhi. His movable assets are worth ₹33.96 lakh and his wife’s worth ₹64 lakh. He owns no immovable assets while his wife owns immovable assets worth ₹1.25 crore. His sources of income include his professional fees and salary as a lawyer and as an MLA.