AAP candidate Bhawna Gaur's ticket likely to get cancelled

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Bhawna Gaur from Delhi's Palam area is under the scanner after her name has been dragged into two major controversies. The allegations are such that the party may withdraw her candidature.
A committee comprising Professor Anand Kumar, Prashant Bhushan and Ashish Khaitan is investigating the charges. The committee will reveal its decision to the party by December 4.

AAP that claims to give tickets only to people with clean image has named Bhawna Gaur in its first list of candidates. According to an exclusive report by Aaj Tak, Bhawna is involved in two such major disputes which certainly don't prove her 'clean image' as a leader. The charges on Bhawna involve allegedly lying about her academic qualifications and a lawsuit related to illegal construction and unlawful occupation of her previously rented house.

According to sources, the party committee has acquitted Gaur in the claims about her educational qualifications. However the committee is still to take any decision on the illegal house encroachment case.

First row: Educational qualification

Bhawna had reportedly filed different educational qualification in the affidavit she submitted in front of the Election Commission office. Her educational qualification in AAP forms is B.Ed while in her affidavit her qualification is 12th pass. When the party's disciplinary committee asked her for an explanation in the case, she said she had lost her BA and B.Ed certificates during the last elections and she did not want to take the risk of losing her candidature before the election commission. Gaur was freed of the charges after producing duplicate certificate.

BA, B.Ed is AAP form.

12th pass in affidavit.

In 1999, a woman accused Gaur of illegal construction and wrongful occupation of her house. The case went to court, and in 2007 the court ordered opening up of the seized place. The articles found from that place after its opening found its mention in the newspapers of that time. During this time she was the BJP councilor.

Courts bailiff in Bhawna Gaur case.

Diplomatic response of the Party's spokesperson

Although party is not saying anything formally about the issue, AAP spokesman Atishi Marlena said that if there is any complaint about any candidate then the party looks into the matter and if found guilty the ticket of such a candidate is cancelled. On being questioned if any complaint about Bhawna has been registered in the party forum, Atishi addressed it as party's internal issue and refused to comment any further on it.

According to the sources, AAP is unwilling to cancel Bhawna's ticket as there is no other candidate as strong as Gaur from Palam. In a desperate bid of trying to return to power at any cost AAP is not ready to take the risk of putting up a weak candidate.