Ex-MLA Shoaib Iqbal says he quit AAP, hours after party announces candidates for MCD bypolls

New Delhi, Nov 9 (PTI) Former AAP MLA Shoaib Iqbal on Sunday announced his decision to quit the party after it did not give a ticket to the candidate of his choice for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi bypolls in the Chandni Mahal ward.

Interestingly, his son Aaley Mohammad Iqbal is an MLA from Matia Mahal constituency.

Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced its candidates for the November 30 bypolls to the 12 wards of the MCD.

Talking to PTI, Shoaib Iqbal said, "I am unhappy with the policies of AAP. The party was born out of a movement, but it has lost its way. I have resigned from the party and will never return." He also expressed unhappiness with the party's choice of candidate for the Chandni Mahal ward. AAP has fielded Muddasir Usman Qureshi from the area.

"I have been a six-time MLA from the area. My son was a councillor and had won with the highest margin. When he contested in the Assembly polls, he won with the highest margin. Nobody knows the candidate fielded by the party (for the MCD bypoll)," he alleged.

Shoaib Iqbal hinted that more people might leave the party, and some big developments could happen on Monday.

He remarked that most of the parties born out of movements fizzle out.

"The Janata Dal was also born out of a movement, but it did not survive. Even the AAP is facing disintegration," he said.

Shoaib Iqbal was earlier with the Congress. He left the party and contested the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls on an AAP ticket.

In a statement, AAP said it had decided that only its own workers would be given tickets in the MCD bypolls, and no "parachute candidates" from other parties would be considered.

"However, Shoaib Iqbal announced his brother-in-law, Kashif Qureshi, as the party's candidate without consulting the organisation," it said.

AAP has clarified that based on the results of an internal survey, the ticket was given to Mudassir Usman Qureshi.

"He is a long-time party worker and currently serves as the Delhi co-secretary of the party's youth wing. The Aam Aadmi Party avoids giving tickets to relatives so that ordinary workers get a fair opportunity," it added.

Shoaib Iqbal had first contested Assembly elections in 1993 on a Janata Dal ticket. He won the 2013 polls as a JD(U) candidate.

In the intervening years, he was also associated with Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party. In 2014, he joined the Congress. PTI SLB NSD NSD