The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears split over Rajya Sabha nominations, with a section of the party suggesting that it should nominate outsiders to the Upper House, an AAP leader has said.
Elections to three Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi will be held on January 16. The AAP, which enjoys a brute majority in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, is set to win all the three seats.
A group of AAP leaders has emphasised on sending to the Rajya Sabha, people from the fields of economics, law and social work. This would also help the AAP leadership deal with the internal rift over Rajya Sabha berths.
The party had approached former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan in this regard but he declined the offer. There were reports that the party talked to former Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur who also did not agree to it.
Many in the AAP view it as a tactic to counter senior leader Kumar Vishwas, a strong contender for a Rajya Sabha berth.
However, his nomination is unlikely given the uneasy equation he has with some senior AAP leaders, a party leader said.
But if other leaders are given preference over Mr. Vishwas, who has support of several MLAs and volunteers, the rift in the party could widen.
Another section of the AAP is in favour of sending senior party leaders to the Upper House.
On Thursday, supporters of Mr. Vishwas pitched tents in the party office, demanding that leaders who have worked in the anti-corruption movement should be sent to the Rajya Sabha.
Names of senior party leader Sanjay Singh and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s close confidant Ashutosh are doing the rounds.
However, Mr. Kejriwal has kept the cards close to his chest.
