The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced its three candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana. The AAP has been contesting the Lok Sabha elections in the State in a coalition with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which is fighting in seven out of the ten seats in the Haryana.
The AAP has fielded its Haryana unit chief Naveen Jaihind from Faridabad; former Himachal Pradesh Director-General of Police (DGP) Prithvi Raj from Ambala; and advocate Krishan Kumar Agarwal from Karnal. The announcement was made by senior AAP leader and Haryana in-charge Gopal Rai in a joint press conference with JJP leader Dushyant Chautala at the party’s Delhi office.
Born in a Dalit family in Haryana’s Jagadhari, Mr. Raj was the DGP-Himachal Pradesh for six months before he retired in 2017. He has been actively involved in Dalit movements since his college days. Mr. Agarwal, a practising lawyer at the Panipat District and Sessions Court, has been part of the Jan Lok Pal movement.
‘Congress backed out’
Replying on a question on the alliance with the Congress, Mr. Rai said the AAP had agreed to the Congress’ formula for Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh, but the Congress backed out at the last moment. “Congress seems to be acting against the interests of the Opposition and indirectly helping the BJP. We will expose the Congress and defeat the BJP in Delhi and Haryana,” said Mr. Rai, ruling out any possibility of an alliance with the Congress. He said that all the six candidates of the AAP in Delhi would file their nominations on Monday.
‘Waiting for Congress’
The JJP has already announced four of its seven candidates and is expected to make public the remaining names by the evening. JJP sources said party leaders were waiting for the Congress to declare its candidates before making the announcement.