November 21, 2024: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has released its first list of 11 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections in February 2025. The list, announced on Thursday, includes a mix of new faces, with a particular focus on several turncoat leaders from rival parties, the BJP and Congress.

Among the prominent candidates are former BJP leaders Brahm Singh Tanwar, Anil Jha, and BB Tyagi, who recently joined AAP. The list also features former Congress leaders Chaudhry Zubair Ahmad, Veer Singh Dhingan, and Sumesh Shokeen. These leaders' defection to AAP has raised eyebrows, as the party continues to strengthen its electoral prospects by attracting high-profile politicians from other parties.

The candidates announced for various constituencies across Delhi are Brahm Singh Tanwar for Chhatarpur, Anil Jha for Kirari, BB Tyagi for Laxmi Nagar, and Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad for Seelampur, among others. The party also introduced candidates like Deepak Singhla, Sarita Singh, Ram Singh Netaji, Gaurav Sharma, Manoj Tyagi, and Sumesh Shokeen for different constituencies.

This list comes in the wake of a significant setback for AAP, as Kailash Gahlot, a key member of the party and former minister in the Delhi government, resigned from both his post and the party. Gahlot’s shift to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been a major blow to AAP just months before the crucial elections.

The inclusion of several turncoats in the candidate list signals AAP’s strategy to boost its presence in Delhi by tapping into the political experience and networks of former BJP and Congress leaders. However, this move may draw criticism from opponents who accuse AAP of opportunism, with the party facing growing scrutiny over its practice of attracting defectors.