Maliwal writes to AAP chief Kejriwal, demands Dalit LoP in Delhi Assembly

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Wednesday urged AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal to choose a Dalit MLA for the post of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly.

“I request you to make an MLA from the Dalit community as the Leader of Opposition. Appointing a Dalit MLA as the LoP will not only be a political decision but also a significant step towards social justice and equal representation,” Maliwal said in a letter to Kejriwal.

Maliwal, through her letter, also reminded Kejriwal of the 2022 Punjab election promise to appoint a Dalit leader as Deputy CM.

“It is very sad that even after 3 years, the promise has not been fulfilled... Avoid repeating the breach of promise and take the historic decision in Delhi by appointing a Dalit as LoP,” Maliwal said.

She said those who trusted Kejriwal’s promise deserve to see it being honoured. This is the right time to ensure meaningful representation. She cautioned the AAP convener against repeating the mistake of allegedly “not delivering on commitments”.

Notably, the Leader of the Opposition is the one who leads the official opposition in the 70-member Delhi Legislative Assembly.

After facing a defeat in the recently concluded Assembly poll, the AAP is reduced to 22 MLAs from the previous majority of 62 legislators in the Vidhan Sabha.

The AAP faces a tough task to find the right person for the post of LoP, especially after its topmost leader Kejriwal lost the elections.

According to party sources, caretaker CM Atishi, Gopal Rai, Sanjeev Jha and Jarnail Singh are among the frontrunners for the position of LoP.