AAP unveils final Delhi poll list; Kejriwal criticises BJP for 'no CM face'

After AAP released its final list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in Delhi, party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who will contest from the New Delhi constituency, took a swipe at the BJP, alleging that the saffron party has no chief ministerial face.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday released its final list of 38 candidates for the Assembly polls due in February, fielding Kejriwal from New Delhi besides repeating Chief Minister Atishi from Kalkaji.

In a post on X in Hindi, Kejriwal said, "The party is contesting the elections with full confidence and full preparation. BJP is missing. They have no CM face, no team, no planning, and no vision for Delhi. They have only one slogan, only one policy, and only one mission -- 'Remove Kejriwal'. Ask them what they did in five years, and they reply, 'Kejriwal ko bahut gaali di' (cursed Kejriwal a lot)."  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is yet to announce its candidates, is reportedly planning to pitch Parvesh Verma, son of former Delhi Chief Minister late Sahib Singh Verma, against Kejriwal in New Delhi.

The Congress, meanwhile, has announced 21 candidates, including Sandeep Dikshit, son of ex-Chief Minister late Sheila Dikshit, who will challenge Kejriwal in New Delhi.

Kejriwal has on multiple occasions ruled out any alliance with Congress, despite both parties being part of the INDIA bloc.

In its bid for a third consecutive term in power in the national capital, AAP has nominated its senior leaders from their own constituencies.

Accordingly, Environment Minister Gopal Rai will contest from Babarpur, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj from Greater Kailash, and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain from Shakur Basti.

Additionally, ministers Raghuvinder Shokeen and Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat will contest the polls from Nangloi Jat and Sultanpur Majra, respectively.

Other candidates in AAP's list include Sanjeev Jha from Burari, Ajesh Yadav from Badli, and Durgesh Pathak from Rajinder Nagar. The party has fielded Amanatullah Khan from Okhla.

As per a list issued earlier, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been moved to Jangpura, while newcomer Avadh Ojha will contest from Sisodia's previous seat, Patparganj.

Congress has fielded Anil Kumar from Patparganj.

In the 2020 elections, AAP secured 62 of the 70 seats in Delhi, solidifying its dominance in the capital's politics.

The upcoming polls are expected to be a litmus test for the party's governance model and its appeal to the electorate.