Delhi Speaker Goel quits electoral politics

Delhi Assembly Speaker and Shahdara MLA Ram Niwas Goel announced his retirement from electoral politics citing his age on Thursday.

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In a letter to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, the 76-year-old legislator said he would continue to serve the party.

With Goel exiting politics ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for February, AAP on Thursday inducted Jitender Singh Shunty, a Padma Shri awardee and former MLA, into the party. The party may likely field him from the Shahdara Assembly seat.

In the 2015 Assembly elections, Shunty contested as the BJP candidate, but lost to Goel. He won the 2013 elections from the Shahdara seat as the SAD candidate by defeating three-time Congress MLA Dr Narendra Nath.

Arvind Kejriwal welcomed Shunty into the party by presenting him with AAP's signature cap and a 'patka’ (scarf).

“I am happy to welcome Jitender Singh Shunty in AAP on Thursday. He is renowned not only in Delhi or across the country, but also internationally for his exceptional contributions to social service for the past 39 years,” he said.

The AAP supremo said Shunty, who was known as ‘ambulance man’, had reportedly cremated over 70,000 bodies. “His inclusion in AAP will strengthen our party,” Kejriwal said.

Jitender said he was reluctant to return to politics, but Kejriwal convinced him to come forward.