Jailed AAP leader Sanjay Singh files nomination for Rajya Sabha elections

Former Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal and Aam Aadmi Party MPs Sanjay Singh and N D Gupta filed their nominations for the January 19 Rajya Sabha elections here on Monday, officials said.

The AAP had on Friday nominated Maliwal as its Rajya Sabha candidate, and renominated Singh and N D Gupta for a second term in the Upper House of Parliament.

The six-year term of Singh, N D Gupta and Sushil Kumar Gupta ends on January 27. Maliwal's name has been nominated by the party to replace Sushil Gupta.

Maliwal, N D Gupta and Singh filed their nominations at the Delhi transport commissioner's office in Civil Lines, the officials said.

The election, if necessary, to fill up the three vacancies will be held on January 19. The last date for filing nominations is January 9 while the scrutiny of nominations will take place on January 10. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is January 12.

Maliwal resigned as the DCW chairperson soon after the AAP named her as its Rajya Sabha candidate on Friday.

After filing her nomination, Maliwal said, "I have just filed the nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections and I am very emotional. I want to thank Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh from the bottom of my heart for sending a common woman like me to the Rajya Sabha." She said her eight-year stint as the DCW chief was like 'tapasya' and she handled 1,70,000 cases during this time.

"I worked day and night... The voice that was earlier heard in the streets will now resonate in the House for women, youths, farmers and for every citizen of the country," she said.

Maliwal said she hoped that Singh, who is in jail in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, would soon return to the Rajya Sabha.

On bidding adieu to the DCW, she said she had not been able to sleep since Friday.

"The DCW is an important part of my life. Wherever I am, I can never separate myself from the DCW," she said.