Delhi CM Kejriwal accepts Swati Maliwal's resignation as DCW chief

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has permitted the resignation of DCW chief Swati Maliwal ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections. Following this, Maliwal is set to file her nomination papers for the upcoming elections on Monday, sources said.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accepted the resignation of DCW chief Swati Maliwal, who is among the AAP's candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, and forwarded it to the lieutenant governor, officials said on Saturday. Maliwal will file her nomination papers for the elections here on Monday, they said.

The AAP on Friday nominated Maliwal as its Rajya Sabha candidate, and renominated Sanjay Singh and Narain Dass Gupta for a second term in the Upper House of Parliament. The nominations were announced by the party's political affairs committee (PAC), chaired by Kejriwal, who is also the AAP's national convener.

The chief minister has accepted Maliwal's resignation as the DCW chief. He has sent it for Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's approval, the officials said. The six-year term of Sanjay Singh, Sushil Kumar Gupta and Narain Dass Gupta ends on January 27.

Maliwal will replace Sushil Kumar Gupta, who is also the president of the AAP's Haryana unit, as the third Rajya Sabha MP of AAP from Delhi. Sushil Kumar Gupta has expressed his intent to redirect his focus towards the electoral politics of Haryana, the AAP had said on Friday.

The elections, 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. The AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi assembly. The BJP has just eight MLAs in the House.

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