After more than 7 hrs, 44 candidates, Arvind Kejriwal files nomination
NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal filed his nomination on Tuesday after waiting for almost seven-anda-half-hours, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said and held the BJP responsible for the delay.
High drama unfolded as Kejriwal arrived at the SDM office around 11 am to file his papers on Tuesday — the last day for filing nomination. He waited patiently, holding token number 45, and finally managed to complete the process between 6 pm and 7 pm. The drama at the Returning Officer’s (RO) chambers witnessed dozens of Independent candidates queued up at Jamnagar House to file their papers, leading
AAP to accuse the BJP of “conspiracy” and sending 35 “proxy candidates” to just block Kejriwal’s nomination.
They had come without proper nomination papers or documents or enough proposers and were refusing to let the Delhi Chief Minister file his papers. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the BJP of trying to stop Kejriwal from filing his nomination.
Sisodia tweeted: “BJP has sent 45 candidates to file their nominations before Arvind Kejriwal. The Election Commission (EC) is intentionally spending 30 minutes to 1 hour on those who don’t have all the papers, those who don’t have proposers — all so that Arvind Kejriwal can be stopped from filing his nomination.”
Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj also claimed that around 35 candidates were causing the delay. In a tweet he said: “Around 35 candidates sitting at RO office with CM, without proper nomination papers , without even 10 proposers. They are calling their proposers on phone to come. They are insisting unless their papers r complete and they file Nomination, they won’t allow CM to file Nomination.”
Meanwhile, Kejriwal himself tweeted about the long queue and said: “Waiting to file my nomination. My token no is 45. There are many people here to file nomination papers. Am so glad so many people participating in democracy.”
He later responded to Bharadwaj’s tweet, saying he was “enjoying” waiting with the other candidates. Many of them were contesting for the time, he said, adding that the AAP should “hand-hold” them. Kejriwal tweeted: “Doesn’t matter. Many of them r filing for the first time. They are bound to make mistakes. We also made mistakes the first time. We should hand hold them. I am enjoying waiting with them. They are all part of my family.”