AAP fields UPSC guide—Ojha—from Patparganj, Sisodia moves to Jangpura
What's the story
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has released its second list of candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, due early next year.
In a major development, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will now contest from the Jangpura constituency instead of his old seat, Patparganj.
The party has fielded Avadh Ojha, a new AAP member and civil services educator, from the Patparganj constituency.
Candidate change
Sisodia's shift and Ojha's nomination in AAP stronghold
Sisodia has been the Patparganj representative since his first win in December 2013. He won the 2013 and 2015 elections with a huge margin but had a narrow win in 2020 polls. The east Delhi constituency is an AAP stronghold.
The Jangpura seat, which Sisodia will contest from now, has been with AAP since 2013. It was won by former Delhi Assembly Speaker Maninder Singh Dhir and then by Praveen Kumar in 2015 and 2020.
New faces
Other significant candidate changes in AAP's list
The second list of candidates also features Rakhi Bidlan, the deputy speaker of the Delhi Assembly.
Bidlan will now be contesting from Madipur instead of her current Mangolpuri seat, which has been given to Rakesh Jatav Dharamrakshak.
With this announcement, AAP is yet to announce candidates for 39 seats out of the total 70-member Assembly.
The party had released a list of 11 candidates last month.