AAP starts shortlisting LS

2019 ELECTIONS Party holds meetings to decide on candidates for all seven Lok Sabha seats; sources say Atishi Marlena, Dilip Pandey, Raghav Chadha among probables

NEW DELHI : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has started the process of finalising candidates for next year’s Lok Sabha polls, party sources said on Monday.

A senior party leader said that names of possible candidates have started doing the rounds in the weekly meetings of the party. “In primary discussions some of the names have been strongly recommended. The plan is to take all the nominations, and a final call will be taken soon,” said a party leader on the condition of anonymity.

Sources said among the names that are being pitched, Atishi Marlena, Dilip Pandey, Raghav Chadha, and Pankaj Gupta are the notable ones.

While Marlena may be fielded from east Delhi, Pandey from northeast, Chadha from New Delhi, Gupta could get the party ticket from Chandni Chowk. In the 2014 elections, BJP won all seven parliamentary constituencies in the Capital.

“Though for other names we have got an agreement in the team, people are sceptical about Gupta’s candidature from Chandni Chowk because BJP’S sitting MP Dr Harsh Vardhan is a well-known name there. Though Pankaj Gupta is a senior AAP leader but he is not a popular face among voters,” the leader said.

Another name that is doing the rounds is BJP leader Guggan Singh Ranga who recently quit the party and joined AAP before the Bawana bypolls.

After the party managed to win the constituency in August last year, after AAP’S sitting MLA Ved Prakash quit the party to join the BJP, Ranga has become a major influencer among the local volunteers. Sources said a reason for AAP not giving Ranga the MLA ticket was because he has been promised “a bigger position”.

His reach in the area, is likely to make him the perfect choice for northwest Delhi parliamentary constituency.

Party sources Marlena has made her name in the party due to her work in the field of education. She is an advisor to deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is also the education minister.

Chadha is the treasurer of the party and a popular youth leader of the party. A Chartered Accountant, Chadha also handles party’s legal matters.

Pandey, along with being a former incharge of the Delhi unit, also enjoys strong support among the volunteers of the party.

RAJ K RAJ/HT FILE PHOTO The Aam Aadmi Party is considering names of prominent leaders and some MLAS for its list for the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. Currently, BJP holds all the seats.