AAP disowns candidate from Delhi's Rajouri Garden

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Tuesday withdrew support to its candidate from Delhi's Rajouri Garden constituency after the party came to know a dowry case was pending against the candidate and his family members in Lucknow.

AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said that as the last date of nomination and withdrawal has already passed, technically Rajouri Garden candidate Pritpal Singh Saluja would continue to be on the ballot as a candidate of the party.

But the AAP will leave the seat vacant and will not be contesting from the constituency, he said.

"Though the charges have not been proved against Pritpal Singh Saluja, who is with the AAP since its formation in 2012, but as per the ideology and the principals of the AAP, the party's polling committee won't let any accused or convicted candidate to contest the assembly polls," Yadav told the media.

Earlier, party leader Prashant Bhushan said a delegation of the AAP met Election Commission officials to provide them with the analysis report of the raw footage of the Mediasarkar "sting CD".

The report said the raw footage was edited to delete critical portions.

He said the AAP delegation requested the Election Commission to issue a general order requiring the media to get CDs of a political nature certified from the commission before they are broadcast.

"In the absence of such norms, it becomes extremely easy for any political party or candidates to release such edited and fabricated CDs against their political rivals thus vitiating the fairness of the elections," said Bhushan.