LUCKNOW — India's fledging anti-corruption party suffered a jolt on Tuesday with its candidate Justice (retd) Fakhruddin withdrawing from the electoral fray in Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency. He was pitted against Congress party president and chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Sonia Gandhi. Rae Bareli and Amethi in the eastern state of Uttar Pradesh have traditionally been a pocket borough of the Gandhi's dynasty. 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 said that he informed the party that Fakhruddin 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. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Agarwal filed against Sonia Gandhi and actor-turned politician Irani is party's nominee against Rahul Gandhi.
