AAP has dismissed such charges as “stories” fuelled by “upset” leaders who could not secure nomination and has claimed that a committee of the Vidhan Sabha level oversaw the selection process “in all fairness”.
“We received over 13,000 applications, out of which only 272 could get tickets. Naturally, many would be upset for not getting tickets and probably that is why such stories are emerging. The party gives ticket only on the winnability quotient,” clarified Ashish Talwar, Delhi in-charge of AAP, while talking to The Sunday Guardian.
But AAP leader and president of Bijwasan Vidhan Sabha of South Delhi, Vinod Vats maintained that the process was “eyewash” and most candidates, he alleged, were “handpicked eight months before”.
He alleged that “during the screening of the potential Bijwasan candidates, people with criminal records and even those who never filed their nominations (Poonam Bharadwaj from ward S46) were selected”, suggesting that “foul play” involved.
Vats said that he and his associates are in possession of recordings to substantiate the claims that seats were given for “considerations” other than winnability. He claimed they have shared those recordings with a newspaper in Punjab.
Top among the dissenting voices is Aam Aadmi Party’s NRI wing convener, Munish Raizada, who has launched both an online as well as on-the-ground protest against the “opaque funding of the AAP”.
“The only financial statement made public (by AAP) was in 2014. Does it not suggest that something suspicious is going on?” Raizada told this correspondent.
Reacting to Raizada’s statement, Ashutosh, TV journalist-turned-AAP leader, claimed, “He has joined the Congress. What more can we expect from him?” Ashutosh emphasised that “resentment among the party workers is a common phenomenon during elections”.
But accusations are pouring in from all corners. Another AAP volunteer, who teaches at Delhi University, said: “I was asked to call on a number. When I called the person, I was asked to ‘do something’ to secure the ticket. I am not sure the person on the phone was a genuine party functionary, but many party workers said they received such calls.”
Sabita Mishra, AAP volunteer from ward 126 S in Uttam Nagar, wondered on what basis tickets were being distributed.
“An outsider, who cannot even speak or write Hindi, got the Purvanchali seat in our constituency,” Mishra said.
Aam Aadmi Party volunteer and school teacher in Chhatarpur, Ranjeeta Gurani, added the “unfair ticket distribution” has led to volunteers switching sides. “Many workers have either joined the BJP or Swaraj India and will be contesting elections against AAP,” she said.
The MCD polls will be held on 23 April.