AAP announces candidates on six out of seven seats in Delhi for Lok Sabha polls

Ending speculations of an alliance with the Congress, the Aam Admi Party announced on Saturday names of party candidates on six of seven seats in Delhi for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Delhi AAP convener Gopal Rai said Atishi will contest from East Delhi, Guggan Singh from North-West Delhi, Raghav Chadha from South, Dilip Pandey from North-East, Pankaj Gupta from Chandni Chowk and Brijesh Goyal will contest from New Delhi seats.

Rai said the candidate for West Delhi will be announced soon.

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The six candidates were earlier appointed as in charge on the respective Lok Sabha seats.

During a meeting of 'Mahagathbandhan', leaders at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence last month, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had refused a proposal for alliance between his party and the AAP, citing opposition from its Delhi unit leaders, Rai added. 

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on February 20 said the AAP leaders were tired of trying to convince the Congress to form an alliance with the party, asserting the arrangement would result in the BJP losing all the Lok Sabha seats it currently holds in the national capital. Speaking at a public rally near Jama Masjid, he also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, accusing them of dividing people.

"We are tired of convincing the Congress to form an alliance, but they do not understand. If there is an alliance, the BJP will lose all the seven Lok Sabha seats it currently has in Delhi," the AAP national convener said.

"I don't know what they have in their minds," he said about an alliance with the Congress and alleged that it was "weakening" the AAP in Delhi, drawing a comparison with the SP-BSP combine in UP.

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