Amid ED-Kejriwal row, AAP nominates Swati Maliwal as Rajya Sabha MP; Sanjay Singh, ND Gupta renominated

Amid the escalating row over summons sent to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the AAP on Friday nominated Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal as its Rajya Sabha MP.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who has been in prison since October 2023, and N.D. Gupta have been renominated for a second term in the upper house of Parliament.

The nominations were announced by the party's political affairs committee (PAC), chaired by AAP national convener Kejriwal.

"DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal has been nominated for the first time. The PAC has decided to continue with Sanjay Singh and N.D. Gupta for their respective second term as Rajya Sabha members," the party said.

The committee decided to endorse two existing members for re-nomination, whereas Sushil Kumar Gupta expressed his intent to redirect his focus towards the electoral politics of Haryana, it said, once his tenure as a member of the Rajya Sabha ends later this month.

"He has conveyed his aspiration to actively engage in the vibrant electoral landscape of Haryana, and we respect his decision to pursue this path," a senior AAP leader said.

DCW chairperson Maliwal is also an active advocate for women's rights and social issues. She has been associated with various campaigns and movements aimed at combating violence against women, advocating for stricter laws, and promoting gender equality.

In 2015, she was appointed chairperson of the DCW, where she has been instrumental in spearheading initiatives to address issues such as acid attacks, sexual harassment, and women's safety in Delhi.

A Delhi court has allowed Singh — who is in jail in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam — to sign forms and documents for his Rajya Sabha renomination.

Special Judge M.K. Nagpal passed the order on an application filed by the AAP leader, who submitted that his present term as a member of the Rajya Sabha is expiring on 27 January and the returning officer issued a notice on 2 January for the conducting of elections, nominations for which are to be submitted by 9 January.

The application sought a direction to the Tihar Jail superintendent to allow Singh to sign the documents.