Kejriwal Appeals to EC as Avadh Ojha Faces Disqualification Threat in Patparganj

New Delhi, Jan 13 (NationPress) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal stated on Monday that the party has reached out to the Election Commission of India to prevent disqualification of its candidate for Patparganj, Avadh Ojha, due to an issue with transferring his vote from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.

During a press briefing, the former Chief Minister of Delhi claimed that there is a conspiracy within the Delhi election office to disqualify Ojha, who is currently registered as a voter in Greater Noida, from participating in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections on February 5.

“Ojha submitted Form 8 for transferring his vote to Delhi on January 7, which is compliant with the EC deadline of ten days prior to the nomination filing starting on January 17. However, the Chief Electoral Officer revised the cut-off for such applications to January 6,” he explained.

Kejriwal suggested that there is an underlying conspiracy aimed at preventing Ojha from filing his nomination, and he, along with other AAP leaders, plans to raise this issue with the Election Commission of India.

Referencing the ECI manual and guidelines, Kejriwal noted that the commission's rules allow for late applications for vote transfers to be considered as a “special case”.

He reiterated his claims of irregularities in the voters' list in the New Delhi constituency, alleging that district election officials were permitting the registration of new voters using the addresses of BJP MPs residing in the area.

“We are seeing 30 to 40 new voter registration requests coming from each MP’s residence,” he said, a claim that the BJP has consistently denied.

Moreover, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar dismissed the allegations of voters' list manipulation when he announced the Delhi election schedule last week.

Avadh Ojha, who is contesting his first election and is a well-respected civil services coach, joined AAP earlier this month. He has previously described Kejriwal as akin to God, referring to him as an 'avatar of Krishna'.

In an interview with IANS, Ojha remarked, “Arvind Kejriwal is certainly a God, he embodies the spirit of Lord Krishna.”

He also expressed his belief that Kejriwal is destined to be the Prime Minister in 2029, stating that a common teacher like him was welcomed by the leader.

“Traditional political parties often overlook ordinary citizens, but Kejriwal, a national figure, has embraced me. His democratic approach and emphasis on merit are notable. He has a unique way of working, always prioritizing democratic values,” Ojha said.

The AAP has selected Ojha to contest from Patparganj, replacing former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is now running from Jangpura.