AAP candidates from East Delhi and West Delhi Lok Sabha seats filed their nomination papers amid fanfare and in the presence of senior party leaders on Saturday. The three AAP candidates - Kuldeep Kumar (East Delhi), Somnath Bharti (New Delhi) and Mahabal Mishra (West Delhi) - took out roadshows along with senior AAP leaders and volunteers of the party before going for filing nominations.
Mahabal Mishra's nomination began after prayers at temples where he sought blessing of Lord Ram in Raghuveer Nagar. Apart from Sanjay Singh, Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot and Dilip Pandey, Delhi Congress's interim president Devender Yadav also accompanied Mishra in his nomination procession. Large number of his supporters accompanied him in a procession for filing his papers.
AAP workers raised slogans of ‘Kejriwal Zindabad’ with tricolour flag and party flag. People were holding brooms and posters of Arvind Kejriwal in their hands.
Mishra said people still remember the work he has done in Delhi since 2009. With the blessings of Lord Shri Ram, the INDIA alliance will liberate the country from dictatorship in the coming elections, he said. Only slogan of ‘Jail ka Jawab Vote se’ is echoing all over Delhi, Sanjay Singh said.
He also said Mishra has filed his nomination from West Delhi Lok Sabha seat as part of the Aam Aadmi Party and the INDIA alliance and people of West Delhi ensure his victory.
He said the BJP's ‘400-Paar’ slogan is a fake slogan. The BJP had said ‘200 Paar’ in Bengal but won only 73 seats, in Delhi they had said ‘45 Paar’ but managed to secure only 8 seats adding the BJP will get oly 150 seats in the general elections while The INDIA alliance will get more than 300 seats.
In a seat sharing agreement, INDIA combine partners AAP and Congress are contesting four and three seats respectively in Delhi, giving a direct fight to the BJP. The nomination process will conclude on May 6. Voting in all the seven seats will be held on May 25.
Bharti in a post on X at 4.48 PM wrote he was waiting for two hours for his turn to file nomination papers along with other candidates at the office of New Delhi Parliamentary constituency returning officer. He also claimed "there is a hot discussion going on that the BJP fearing massive defeat, to the extent of losing deposits, at New Delhi Loksabha and East Delhi Loksabha seats is contemplating changing their candidates to Sri Hardeep Singh Puri Ji (@HardeepSPuri) and Sri Arvinder Lovely Ji (@ArvinderLovely) respectively. Even if they change candidates, people won't change their decision and will vote BJP out of power in 2024."
Puri, Union minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, immediately dismissed Bharti's claim as "baseless and mischievous". "He is trying to mislead people. Bharati should get his mental faculties checked," Puri said in a statement.
The AAP is contesting four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in alliance with the Congress. Party candidate from South Delhi Sahi Ram Pehalwan has already filed his nomination.
Kumar, who hails from the Dalit community, sought blessings of his parents and jailed party leader Manish Sisodia's wife as well as offered tributes at Dr B R Ambedkar's statue before embarking on his nomination procession. In a post on X, Kumar said a youth from an ordinary family hardly dreams about entering politics but Arvind Kejriwal and Sisodia showed confidence in him and gave him a chance to become the voice of AAP.
Party Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, Delhi minister Atishi and MLA Dilip Pandey among other leaders attended the well attended procession of Kumar.
Atishi said people of Delhi have made up their mind to retaliate against Kejriwal's arrest through votes and the huge crowd gathered in support of Kumar shows he is going to be the next MP of East Delhi, a general constituency. Singh said Kejriwal has set a significant example by fielding a Dalit community member from the East Delhi seat. He claimed the BJP will lose all the seven Lok Sabha seats and the INDIA bloc will come to power at the Centre winning 300 seats across the country.
The BJP's 'Abki Baar 400 Paar' slogan is hollow and it will not get more than 150 seats in the polls, he said. Party volunteers and supporters wearing blue and yellow 'pagris' (headgears) took part in Kumar's procession.
The people wearing yellow and blue colours signifying Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar have come out to protest against dictatorship that has put Kejriwal behind the bars, Kumar said.
