Lok Sabha Polls: 5 Facts About Somnath Bharti, AAP's New Delhi Candidate
- Born on May 19, 1974, Mr Bharti was brought up in Hisua, a town in Bihar's Nawada district. He completed his primary education in Bihar before moving to Delhi. Mr Bharti earned an MSc degree from IIT Delhi in 1997.
- The AAP leader initially worked in the coaching sector, teaching students Mathematics for the IIT entrance exam. He then became an entrepreneur and set up a software business, named Bharti Infotech Pvt Ltd, which was later acquired by Sunil Mittal's Bharti Group.
- Mr Bharti then completed his law degree from Law Centre-II, Delhi University, and started practising in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. He came in contact with AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal in 2010. He has been working with the Delhi Chief Minister since then. He represented the members of Anna Andolan in court and was a founding member of the AAP in 2012.
- Mr Bharti contested the 2013 Delhi assembly election on an AAP ticket and won from Malviya Nagar constituency. He was appointed Minister of Law, Tourism, Administrative Reforms, and Art and Culture in the Delhi government from December 2013 to February 2014.
- Mr Bharti has often courted controversies. In 2013, he was accused of vigilantism after he ordered raids on homes of Africans living in Delhi's Khirki Extension, alleging their involvement in drug trade. Mr Bharti was accused of domestic violence by his wife in 2015. However, in 2019, he was absolved of the charges by the Delhi High Court. In 2021, he was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police in Rae Bareli for allegedly making objectionable remarks against UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and state hospitals.