Sun Dec 15 12:36:49 UTC 2024: ## Kejriwal to Contest Delhi Elections From New Delhi Constituency; AAP Announces Full Candidate List
**NEW DELHI** – Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, will defend his New Delhi constituency in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced today. The announcement, part of AAP’s final list of 70 candidates, also confirmed that key ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Gopal Rai will contest from Kalkaji, Greater Kailash, and Babarpur respectively.
The move directly counters recent challenges from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who had speculated that several AAP MLAs, including Kejriwal himself, were afraid to contest due to anticipated defeat. BJP’s claims followed the shift of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia from Patparganj to Jangpura.
Kejriwal dismissed the BJP’s claims, accusing them of lacking a clear vision or leadership for Delhi and relying solely on criticizing him. He highlighted AAP’s ten-year record of governance and presented a confident outlook for the upcoming elections, expected in February.
The list also includes notable figures like Satyendra Jain, who despite facing a money laundering case and subsequent bail, will again contest from Shakur Basti. In Uttam Nagar, Pooja Balyan, wife of the incumbent MLA Naresh Balyan, will be the AAP candidate. Other significant names on the list include Durgesh Pathak (Rajinder Nagar), Amanatullah Khan (Okhla), and Somnath Bharti (Malviya Nagar).
The BJP responded to the AAP’s candidate list with criticism, with Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva alleging an “anti-women mindset” within AAP. The elections are expected to be a closely fought contest between the AAP and the BJP.
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