New Delhi: Former Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj India on Tuesday announced the fifth list of 42 candidates, taking the tally of total candidates fielded for the next month’s civic polls to 172.
The three civic bodies with 272 wards across Delhi are going to polls on April 22. Swaraj India said most of their candidate fielded by them participated in the Anna Hazare-led anti-graft campaign.
The newly-launched said it will be contesting its debut elections on the plank of “garbage-free, epidemic-free and pollution-free Delhi”.
“Swaraj India has announced that it will contest polls on all 272 seats. Through an independent and fair probe the candidate selection process, candidates with a clean image have been given opportunities. Special preference has been given to youths and women. Besides this, volunteers associated with the Jan Lokpal movement have been given the top priority,” the party said.
While the BJP and Congress, the erstwhile arch rivals in Delhi civic polls, are yet to announce their nominees, the AAP and Swaraj India have taken a lead in declaring their candidates. The AAP has fielded over 250 candidates so far.
Many of the AAP volunteers left the party to join Swaraj India after founding party members Mr Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were shown the door.
The party said it has set the trend for civic elections, as other parties have started thinking of fielding more women and young candidates. The BJP has declared that it will not give tickets to candidates over 60 years old, Mr Yadav-led party said.
Swaraj India has fielded Kavita Sharma from Deoli, Manju Sharma, an MSc in Botany, from Badarpur, Rahul Gautam from Kalkaji, Rakesh Vashist from Gautam Puri and Mohit Kundaliya from Shahdara, as per the recently announced list of candidates.
