Social activist takes on AAP leaders over ‘ticket denial’

Thiruvananthapuram: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is caught in an unseemly controversy over alleged denial of ticket to social activist Ashwathy Nair for contesting from Alappuzha parliamentary constituency.

While the social activist who runs Jawala Trust which works for the destitute, alleged that the party had chosen her for Alappuzha and screening committee had also cleared the name, AAP leaders said no such assurance had been given.

“I was told to shift to Kollam as the party was considering another candidate for Alappuzha. But I was shocked when one Jackson Peter called up from Zambia saying that he would provide financial help if I went to Kollam. This made me furious,” she told Deccan Chronicle. When asked whether she had complained to Arvind Kejriwal, Ashwathy said some of her friends had sent a mail to him.

Meanwhile, AAP state convenor Manoj Padmanabhan refuted Ashwathy’s allegations saying that Jackson Peter had already clarified that he had offered support for her organisation and not for shifting the constituency. Peter is an acquaintance of K. G. Jagadeesan of Gandhi Smaraka Grama Seva Kendram, who was initially considered for Alappuzha. Since he refused to contest, his associate, D. Mohanan has been fielded form Alappuzha.

So Ashwathy’s name was never declared officially for any seat. “She was propped up by a rival faction in Alappuzha which also campaigned for her on the Facebook,’’ he said adding that screening committee advised her to concentrate on campaigning since she was too young to contest parliamentary elections .

“They asked her to campaign for AAP candidate in Thiruvananthapuram. But because of her insistence, we thought of considering her name for Kollam constituency. But before a decision could be taken she had levelled serious allegations,” he said.