Dharmender Singh

Dharmender Singh Koli is an Indian politician from Delhi. He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Delhi in December 2013 from the Seemapuri constituency.

Dharmender Singh Koli
Member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly
for Seemapuri
Assumed office
8 December 2013
Preceded byVeer Singh Dhingan
Personal details
Political partyAam Aadmi Party
RelationsSantosh Koli
ResidenceSunder Nagari, Delhi
OccupationPolitician

Early life and education

Koli passed the Class 10 All India Secondary School Examination in 2005.[1]

Political career

From 2005 to 2013, Koli had assisted his social activist sister, Santosh Koli, in her work for Parivartan, an organisation that had been established by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia.[2] Santosh had been selected by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to contest the seat of Seemapuri in the December 2013 Delhi legislative assembly elections but died following a hit and run accident in June 2013. In August, Dharmender was chosen to replace her as the AAP candidate in Seemapuri.[3][4]

Seemapuri is a socially and economically deprived constituency whose electorate comprises a large population of Muslims,[5] many of whom have their origins in West Bengal.[3] The constituency is reserved for Scheduled Castes and up to 2013 had traditionally elected Indian National Congress (Congress) representatives, although it had received little practical attention from successive governments.[3][6][7]

Koli's campaign was funded by the party, largely owing to his political inexperience and financial background.[3][5] He defeated the incumbent Congress Member of the Legislative Assembly, Veer Singh Dhingan, by 11,976 votes.[5][8] The Economic Times reported this a "shock victory". While his family and party ascribed his success to the popularity of his late sister, many youths among the electorate were reported to have voted for the AAP as a new alternative secular party.[7]

Allegations

Koli and his supporters took part in a victory celebration following declaration of the election results. While doing so, they burst firecrackers around the house of Dhingan. A First Information Report was subsequently filed by Dhingan, alleging that Koli entered the house with AAP supporters and molested women who were inside. The Delhi Police have begun investigations into the allegations of rioting and molestation, which Koli and Arvind Kejriwal have denied and said are politically motivated. Police say that the extent of Koli's involvement, if any, has not yet been determined.[9][10]

Personal life

Koli is unmarried and resides with his family in a resettlement colony at Sundar Nagari, Delhi,[1][3] which lies in the Seemapuri constituency.[11] He has an elder sister, Usha.[5]

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References
  1. "Candidate – Dharmender Singh Koli". Myneta.info. Association for Democratic Reforms. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  2. "Santosh Koli's Brother Gets AAP Ticket". The Hindustan Times. New Delhi: via HighBeam Research. 29 August 2013. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2013.  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required)
  3. Lalchandani, Neha (16 November 2013). "Shazia Ilmi is richest AAP candidate". The Times of India. New Delhi. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  4. "Aam Aadmi Party candidate Santosh Koli dies, Arvind Kejriwal says 'sacrifice won't go in vain'". India Today. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  5. "Where it all began votes for a sister long gone, a room full of memories". The Indian Express. New Delhi. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  6. Akram, Maria (3 December 2013). "Seemapuri raises a stink of neglect". The Times of India. New Delhi. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  7. Rahman, Nazia Alvi; Akram, Maria (9 December 2013). "Assembly polls 2013: Muslims favour Congress in Delhi due to Modi factor". The Economic Times. New Delhi. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  8. "Constituency wise Result Status". Election Commission of India. 8 December 2013. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  9. Upadhyay, Vineet (11 December 2013). "Cops probe molestation angle in case against AAP MLA Dharmendra Koli". The Hindustan Times. New Delhi. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  10. "AAP MLA Dharmendra Singh Koli booked on complaint by Congress leader". Live Mint. PTI. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  11. Singh, D. K. (4 December 2013). "Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party: The spoiler among the masses". Indian Express. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
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