AAP final list of 38 names in Delhi: Kejriwal, CM Atishi retain seats

New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) The ruling AAP released its final and fourth list of 38 candidates on Sunday, re-fielding Chief Minister Atishi from her Kalkaji constituency and Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat besides retaining the seats of almost all Cabinet ministers. 

Controversial Uttam Nagar legislator Naresh Balyan, arrested in an alleged extortion case, has been replaced by his wife Pooja Naresh Balyan.

Another surprise inclusion was Ramesh Pahelwan from Kasturba Nagar, replacing three-time sitting legislator Madan Lal. Pahelwan returned to the party fold, after leaving it in 2013, just hours before the release of the final list of party candidates.

The AAP has also reposed faith in Mehrauli legislator Naresh Yadav, who was attacked by the Opposition parties after his conviction in a Quran sacrilege case in Punjab.

The list, issued by party National General Secretary Sandeep Pathak, showed the party’s belief in the performance of over three dozen sitting legislators who have again been given tickets for the coming elections to pick a 70-member Assembly.

Minister Gopal Rai will contest from Babarpur and his Cabinet colleague Saurabh Bhardwaj will fight the election from Greater Kailash.

Okhla legislator Amanatullah Khan, who was involved in an alleged case related to Waqf Board irregularities, has also been fielded again. Former Health Minister Satyendra Kumar Jain, who remained in jail for almost a year in a money laundering case, will recontest from Shakur Basti.

Former MP Mahabal Mishra’s son Vinay Mishra has once again been fielded from Dwarka. Former Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti will contest the Malviya Nagar seat again.

Some of the other key candidates are: Sanjeev Jha from Burari, Ajesh Yadav from Badli, Mohinder Goyal from Rithala, Jai Bhagwan from Bawana, Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat from Sultan Pur Majra, Raghuvinder Shokeen from Nangloi Jat, Bandana Kumari from Shalimar Bagh, Preeti Tomar from Tri Nagar, Rajesh Gupta from Wazirpur, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi from Model Town, Som Dutt from Sadar Bazar, Shoaib Iqbal from Matia Mahal and Imran Hussain from Ballimaran.