AAP likely to decide on candidates for 3 RS seats by January

The AAP is likely to decide on its candidates for the three Rajya Sabha seats in Delhi by January first week, a party leader has said.

There are many aspirants within the AAP for the three seats that go to polls in mid-January but the party is looking for faces outside the organisation.

The delay in the announcement of names would avoid acrimony over the candidatures.

Senior party leader Kumar Vishwas, who has been at odds with the leadership for sometime now, was considered one of the strongest contenders.

However, given his present equation with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the chances of the party sending him to the Upper House are slim.
 

Ashutosh and Sanjay Singh are other two candidates for the Upper House if the party choses to field its leaders.

"But we are looking for candidates outside the organisation", from the fields of law, economics and social work, the leader said.

The party had in October approached former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, but he declined the offer.

The move of not fielding any party leader for the Rajya Sabha is also seen as an attempt to put an end to the intra- party rivalry.

Delhi sends three members to the Rajya Sabha. Currently, the city-state is represented by Janardan Dwivedi, Parvez Hashmi, Karan Singh, whose terms end in January.

With its brute majority in the 70-member Delhi Assembly, getting three AAP members elected to the Upper House is a given.