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AAP nominates DCW chief Swati Maliwal for Rajya Sabha, sticks with jailed Sanjay Singh
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) renominated ND Gupta and jailed party leader Sanjay Singh for a second term in the Upper House of Parliament.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated Swati Maliwal, chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The decision to nominate Swati Maliwal, known for her advocacy for women's rights, will mark her debut in parliamentary affairs.
AAP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) has decided to field Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta for their respective second terms as members of the upper house, as their present term is expiring on January 27, 2024.
Sushil Kumar Gupta, whose tenure will end this month as a member of the Rajya Sabha, will make way for Swati Maliwal. Gupta has conveyed his aspiration to fully immerse himself in the electoral politics of Haryana where the AAP wants to fight elections later this year, reported PTI citing a person familiar with the matter.
Earlier today, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court allowed Sanjay Singh, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, to sign forms and documents for his Rajya Sabha renomination.
Special Judge M K Nagpal passed the order on an application filed by the senior AAP leader, seeking a direction to the Tihar Jail Superintendent to allow him to sign the documents.
"It is being directed that if the documents are presented by counsel for accused before jail authorities on January 6, 2024, the jail superintendent shall ensure that the signatures of the accused are permitted to be taken on said documents and he is also permitted to meet his Counsel for half-an-hour to discuss the modalities in connection with filing of the said nomination," the judge said in an order passed on Thursday.
AAP has currently 10 members in the upper house, including Raghav Chadha and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh. AAP's strength in Rajya Sabha saw a significant increase after the party's landslide victory in Punjab.
The nominations for three RS seats of Delhi began on January 3 and the poll will be held on January 19. Since AAP has 62 out of the 70 seats in the Delhi assembly, the three AAP nominees are set to be elected unopposed.
