Haryana polls: AAP releases list of 19 candidates hours before nomination closes

Chandigarh, Sep 12 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Just hours before the closing of filing nominations for the October 5 Assembly polls in Haryana, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is struggling to establish its footprint by going solo in the state that shares boundary with its party-ruled Delhi and Punjab, on Thursday cleared names of 19 candidates in the sixth list. So far the party has released the list of names of 89 candidates for the House of 90. A day earlier, AAP released its list of 21 candidates. Senior AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday during the poll campaign said the people of Haryana “are ready to change the government in favour of better schools, hospitals, free electricity, and employment opportunities”. After the talks of alliance with its INDIA-bloc partner Congress broke down, AAP released the names of 40-star campaigners, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, the party’s Haryana unit chief Sushil Gupta, senior leaders Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh figuring in the list. CM Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, who is among the star campaigners, has launched ‘Kejriwal’s five guarantees by promising free electricity; mohalla clinics in every village and city; Rs 1,000 per month aid to every woman; employment for youth; and better and free education. AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who was present at the nomination filing of the party candidate for the Uchana seat, Pawan Fauji, said the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) would be known as the party whose deposit was forfeited after the Assembly elections. He highlighted that voters had previously supported the BJP, the JJP and the Congress, but this time, they should support Pawan Fauji. Chadha said the next government in Haryana would be formed with the support of the Aam Aadmi Party. He predicted that the BJP would win fewer than 20 seats in this election and emphasized that any new government in Haryana would need Aam Aadmi Party support. The AAP MP also emphasized that Arvind Kejriwal, a son of Haryana, should be supported to show the people’s love for him. –