First list: AAP’s candidates for some seats to be named by 26 Jan

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party is likely to announce the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections by 26 January.

Sources in the party said it will announce candidates for few seats in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana Bihar and Maharashtra. The first list is likely to include the names of senior party leaders and prominent faces.

"First and second round of screening candidates for a few seats was completed last week. We should hopefully release the list of candidates by 26 January."

"The party may announce potential candidates for a seat and then shortlist one after consulting the active members of the party," said a source.

Representational image. PTI

At its National Executive Committee meeting early this month, party leaders had announced that the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha would be declared between January 15 to 20, but the "tremendous" response and number of applications it received delayed the process.

"The deadline to submit the forms by aspirants wanting to contest Lok Sabha seats was January 15. However, we are still receiving forms. We have received maximum forms from Delhi and Haryana. In Delhi alone, the ratio is 65 people to 1 seat," party spokesperson Dilip Pandey said.

The party has so far received 2600 forms from 200 Lok Sabha constituencies from aspirants willing to contest elections.

PTI