The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has unveiled its first list of 11 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, slated for February next year. The list includes six candidates who have recently joined the AAP from rival parties, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. Additionally, three sitting AAP legislators have been dropped from the list.
Among the new entrants, former BJP leaders Anil Jha, BB Tyagi, and Brahm Singh Tanwar have been fielded in the Kirari, Laxmi Nagar, and Chhatarpur constituencies, respectively. Former Congress leaders Zubair Choudhary, Somesh Shokeen, and Vir Singh Dhingan will contest from Seelampur, Matiala, and Seemapuri.
The remaining five candidates include Ram Singh Netaji (Badarpur), Sarita Singh (Rohtas Nagar), Gaurav Sharma (Ghonda), Deepak Singhla (Vishwas Nagar), and Manoj Tyagi (Karawal Nagar).
The announcement was made by AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai following a meeting of the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) at the residence of Arvind Kejriwal, the party chief and former Delhi Chief Minister.
This marks AAP as the first party to announce its candidates for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, even though the election dates are yet to be finalized. Gopal Rai explained that the candidates were selected to energize the ongoing election campaign in these constituencies.
Currently, Delhi’s assembly term ends on February 23, 2025. In the 2020 elections, AAP won a significant 62 out of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly, while the BJP secured 8. However, following resignations and disqualifications, AAP’s strength has dropped to 59 seats. BJP’s strength also reduced after its MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri resigned after winning the South Delhi seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Of the 11 announced candidates, five are contesting from constituencies currently represented by BJP lawmakers: Karawal Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Vishwas Nagar, Ghonda, and Rohtas Nagar. Three constituencies—Badarpur, Seemapuri, and Chhatarpur—are vacant, following resignations and disqualifications of AAP legislators.
The AAP has dropped three sitting MLAs: Gulab Singh from Matiala, Abdul Rehman from Seelampur, and Rituraj Jha from Kirari. Rai emphasized that the candidates were chosen based on surveys and feedback from local communities, following the same process used in previous elections.
Rai also reassured that the party leadership is in touch with all its members to prevent any internal rebellion. AAP has been actively engaging with the public for the past two months through various campaigns. The first phase focused on informing people about the government’s work, while the second phase saw foot marches and direct dialogues with party workers led by Kejriwal.
Rai expressed confidence that the people of Delhi would re-elect AAP, continuing its welfare programs.
In response to the announcement, the BJP criticized AAP for fielding so many “outsiders,” accusing the party of recognizing an anti-incumbency sentiment. BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor suggested that Kejriwal’s departure from Delhi is imminent.
The Congress also criticized the list, accusing AAP of desperation. Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav stated that the party’s decision to field six candidates who had switched from other parties reveals the erosion of AAP’s base in Delhi.
