AAP candidate Justice Fakhruddin refuses to contest in Rae Bareli

Lucknow: The AAP suffered a jolt Tuesday with its candidate Justice (retd) Fakhruddin withdrawing from the electoral fray in Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency where Congress president Sonia Gandhi is a candidate.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders confirmed that the former Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh high court judge has recused himself from the polls.

AAP state spokesman Vaibhav Maheshwari told IANS that he informed the party that he would not be available for the Lok Sabha election.

The party has now decided to field Archana Srivastava, a social worker against Sonia Gandhi.

The AAP has fielded poet-turned-politician Kumar Vishwas against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.

BJP’s candidate from Amethi, activist and lawyer Ajay Agarwal filed his nomination papers Monday.