AAP releases first list of 20 candidates for Lok Sabha polls

Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday released its first list of 20 candidates for Lok Sabha elections, pitting Kumar Vishwas from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi's seat, and former banker Meera Sanyal and social activist Medha Patkar from Mumbai.

The list, which came two days after AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal quit as Delhi Chief Minister, carries names of candidates from Delhi (2), Uttar Pradesh (7), Maharashtra (6), Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab -- one each.

AAP has not, however, announced any candidate in Rae Bareli, the pocket borough of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

TV journalist-turned-politician Ashutosh will contest from Chandni Chowk seat in Delhi held by Union Minister Kapil Sibal.

AAP has given ticket to former scribe Mukul Tripathi for Farukhabad seat in Uttar Pradesh, the constituency of another Union Minister Salman Khurshid.

Advocate H S Phoolka will contest from Ludhiana, currently held by I and B Minister Manish Tewari, while activist Hardev Singh has been given ticket in Mulayam Singh Yadav's stronghold Mainpuri.

AAP has fielded anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania from Nagpur against former BJP National President Nitin Gadkari.

"Our main motto is to send honest people to Parliament. We do not want to send criminals, people with dynastic background. We will soon release the list of candidates for other seats," senior party leader Manish Sisodia told reporters.

Somendra Dhaka, a peasant leader, will contest from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, a seat represented by Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh.

Sanyal, former CEO and Chairperson of RBS India, will contest from South Mumbai, a seat currently represented by Union Minister Milind Deora.

Social worker Patkar has been fielded from North East Mumbai, an NCP seat.

While announcing the first list of candidates, Sisodia said that party leader and founder member Yogendra Yadav will contest from Gurgaon in Haryana. Yadav has also been appointed AAP's Haryana in-charge.

Jarnail Singh is the AAP nominee for the West Delhi seat, which is currently represented by Congress leader Mahabal Mishra in Parliament.

In Uttar Pradesh, Jiya Lal, a scientist, has been cleared as AAP's candidate for the Lalganj seat, which is at present with BSP's Bali Ram.

Educationist Khalid Pervez will contest from Moradabad which former cricketer Mohd Azharuddin currently represents in Parliament while Yogesh Dahiya, a peasant leader from Uttar Pradesh, will be the AAP candidate for Saharanpur. The Saharanpur seat is held by Bahujan Samaj Party's Jagdish Singh Rana.

Senior AAP leader Mayank Gandhi will contest from the North West Mumbai seat, which is held by former Union minister, Gurudas Kamat.

Another senior party leader, Subhash Ware, will contest from Pune, a seat held by Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi, who is facing corruption charges.

AAP has given a ticket from Nashik to Vijay Pandhare, a former engineer with the state government who had helped unearth the irrigation scam.

Alok Agarwal, another senior activist of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, will contest from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, while Habung Pyang, a former Information Commissioner in Arunachal Pradesh, will be the AAP contestant in the northeastern state.

Lingraj, an activist who took part in the agitation against Posco, will lead AAP's challenge for the Bargarh seat in Odisha.