AAP shortlists 10 candidates for Gurgaon, names to be out soon

Gurgaon: In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls scheduled for May 12, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) has shortlisted 10 candidates for the Gurgaon seat, party sources said. AAP had fielded Yogendra Yadav from the seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But since Yadav is no longer with the party, it needs a new face to represent the seat.
AAP’s district head Sudhir Yadav said while four shortlisted candidates are party cadres, six are from outside the party. “Most of them are political candidates who have fought from other parties in the past and are now interested in fighting with the AAP symbol,” he said. He added that some of the candidates are from Mewat and Rewari. Local AAP leaders, including Mahesh Yadav and R S Rathee, would not be contesting this time, as they are gearing up for the Assembly elections scheduled later this year. Sources said AAP has received over 200 applications for the 10 seats across the state.

The final list of candidates will be announced in a couple of weeks once the party takes a final decision with regards to the ongoing alliance talks with the JJP and the Congress. AAP has been in talks with the JJP for a while and state chief Naveen Jaihind had recently said a final decision on alliance would be taken around Holi. Sources said even if the alliance talks go through, AAP is likely to get the Gurgaon seat, as the party has support from the urban voters, compared to the JJP, which is stronger in rural Haryana.

According to sources, JJP has been demanding six seats in the state, which means AAP will have to be content with just four.