A total of 165 candidates, including four Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc candidates filed their nomination papers on Saturday, the sixth day of the nomination process. Three Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates — Kuldeep Kumar (East Delhi), Somnath Bharti (New Delhi), and Mahabal Mishra (West Delhi) — and Congress’s Jai Prakash Agarwal (Chandni Chowk) were among those who filed their papers. Among the INDIA bloc candidates, Congress’s Kanhaiya Kumar (North East Delhi) is yet to file his nomination.
Voting in Delhi is scheduled for May 25, in the sixth phase of the general election.
All nominees of AAP, which is fighting on four Lok Sabha seats of Delhi as part of its 4-3 seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress, held separate roadshows before submitting their nominations.
Mr. Kuldeep Kumar sought the blessings of his parents and the wife of jailed party leader Manish Sisodia and paid tribute to B.R. Ambedkar before filing his papers.
AAP’s West Delhi candidate offered prayers at a temple in Raghubir Nagar before leading the roadshow, where he was accompanied by senior party leaders Sanjay Singh, Kailash Gahlot, and Dilip Pandey, and the interim chief of Congress’s Delhi unit, Devender Yadav.
Mr. Bharti was flanked by his wife and children on the way to the office of the returning officer. He said, “In its 10-year rule, the BJP has weakened the country at every level. They have weakened the Constitution and the democracy.”
INDIA bloc’s Chandni Chowk candidate expressed gratitude towards the Congress leadership for giving him the ticket. Party leaders Subhash Chopra and Anil Bhardwaj, as well as AAP’s Imran Hussain and Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, accompanied him.
The nomination process will conclude on May 6. Voting in all the seven seats will be held on May 25.
