Durgesh Pathak can be AAP candidate from Karawal Nagar, hints Kejriwal

AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday hinted that senior party member Durgesh Pathak could fielded from Karawal Nagar in the Delhi Assembly elections due early next year. The Karawal Nagar Assembly segment is being represented by rebel AAP leader and former Delhi minister Kapil Mishra.

"The shortcomings during Kapil Mishra's time will be fulfilled by Durgesh," Kejriwal said at a gathering of residents of unauthorized colonies. Pathak, who played an important role in the party's landslide victory in 2015 Assembly elections, has been active in the constituency for the past few days.

Kejriwal also hit out at the BJP and the Congress for playing politics over the issue of regularisation of unauthorized colonies in the national capital. "Why leaders of BJP and Congress did not do it (regularisation of unauthorized colonies) for so many years," he asked, adding, "We are firm on doing this."

About the AAP government's pilgrimage program, Kejriwal said a couple of more destinations would be added to the list. Earlier this month, a batch of senior citizens, traveled to Vaishno Devi under the Delhi government's sponsorship. The Delhi government has recently proposed a set of parameters to regularise 1,797 unauthorized colonies, which include charging one percent cost of land circle rate for up to 200 square meter plot from occupants besides a nominal penalty.

Kejriwal had said that his government was yet to finalize stamp duty to be levied on the registry of properties, asserting that the AAP dispensation has accepted all conditions of Centre, and also sent 12 suggestions to it. About 50 lakh people live in unauthorized colonies across Delhi, which has a total population of nearly 1.2 crores. The decision of regularisation will play a vital role in the run-up to the assembly polls scheduled for early next year.