Dharmender Singh Koli

{{Short description|Indian politician}} {{Use British English|date=December 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Dharmender Singh Koli | image = | alt = | caption = | constituency_AM = Seemapuri | assembly = Delhi Legislative | majority =  | term_start = 8 December 2013 | term_end = 15 February 2015 | predecessor = Veer Singh Dhingan | successor = Rajendra Pal Gautam | prior_term = | birth_date =  | birth_place = | birth_name = | party = Aam Aadmi Party | other_party =  | spouse = | relations = Santosh Koli | children = | parents = | alma_mater = | occupation = Politician }} '''Dharmender Singh Koli''' is an Indian politician from Delhi affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He is a former member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, having been elected in December 2013 from the Seemapuri constituency.

==Early life and education== Koli passed the Class 10 All India Secondary School Examination in 2005.<ref name="ProfileAtMyNeta">{{cite web | url=http://myneta.info/delhi2013/candidate.php?candidate_id=100 | title=Candidate – Dharmender Singh Koli | publisher=Myneta.info. Association for Democratic Reforms | access-date=13 December 2013}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{cite news | title = Santosh Koli's Brother Gets AAP Ticket | work = The Hindustan Times | location=New Delhi | date = 29 August 2013 | access-date = 14 December 2013 | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3057156911.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140610085430/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3057156911.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 10 June 2014 | publisher = |via=HighBeam Research}}</ref> Santosh had been selected by the 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.<ref name="TOINov2013">{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/specials/assembly-elections-2013/delhi-assembly-elections/Shazia-Ilmi-is-richest-AAP-candidate/articleshow/25843422.cms | title=Shazia Ilmi is richest AAP candidate | work=The Times of India | date=16 November 2013 | access-date=14 December 2013 | last=Lalchandani |first=Neha | location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/aam-aadmi-party-leader-santosh-koli-succumbs-to-injuries-173075-2013-08-06 | title=Aam Aadmi Party candidate Santosh Koli dies, Arvind Kejriwal says 'sacrifice won't go in vain' | work=India Today | date=7 August 2013 | access-date=14 December 2013}}</ref>

Seemapuri is a socially and economically deprived constituency whose electorate comprises a large population of Muslims,<ref name="IndianExpress">{{cite news | url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/where-it-all-began-votes-for-a-sister-long-gone-a-room-full-of-memories/1205247/0 | title=Where it all began votes for a sister long gone, a room full of memories | work=The Indian Express | date=9 December 2013 | access-date=9 December 2013 | location=New Delhi}}</ref> many of whom have their origins in West Bengal.<ref name="TOINov2013" /> 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.<ref name="TOINov2013" /><ref>{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/26757300.cms | title=Seemapuri raises a stink of neglect | work=The Times of India | date=3 December 2013 | access-date=9 December 2013 | last=Akram |first=Maria | location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref name="TET2013">{{cite news | url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/assembly-polls-2013-muslims-favour-congress-in-delhi-due-to-modi-factor/articleshow/27113190.cms | title=Assembly polls 2013: Muslims favour Congress in Delhi due to Modi factor | work=The Economic Times | date=9 December 2013 | access-date=14 December 2013 | last1=Rahman |first1=Nazia Alvi |last2=Akram |first2=Maria | location=New Delhi}}</ref>

Koli's campaign was funded by the party, largely owing to his political inexperience and financial background.<ref name="TOINov2013" /><ref name="IndianExpress" /> He defeated the incumbent Congress Member of the Legislative Assembly, Veer Singh Dhingan, by 11,976 votes.<ref name="IndianExpress" /><ref>{{cite web | url=http://eciresults.ap.nic.in/ConstituencywiseU0563.htm?ac=63 | title=Constituency wise Result Status | publisher=Election Commission of India | date=8 December 2013 | access-date=9 December 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210215403/http://eciresults.ap.nic.in/ConstituencywiseU0563.htm?ac=63 | archive-date=10 December 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> ''The Economic Times'' called 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.<ref name="TET2013" />

==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.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/coverage/myindia-myvote/chunk-ht-ui-myindiamyvote-delhi/cops-probe-molestation-angle-in-case-against-aap-mla-dharmendra-koli/sp-article10-1161358.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211000952/http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/coverage/myindia-myvote/chunk-ht-ui-myindiamyvote-delhi/cops-probe-molestation-angle-in-case-against-aap-mla-dharmendra-koli/sp-article10-1161358.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 December 2013 |work=Hindustan Times|date=11 December 2013 |title=Cops probe molestation angle in case against AAP MLA Dharmendra Koli |first=Vineet |last=Upadhyay |location=New Delhi |access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref><ref name="LiveMint2013">{{cite news |url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/f8XoBymW7SQ3uigPdwg2HK/AAP-MLA-Dharmendra-Singh-Koli-booked-on-complaint-by-Congres.html |title=AAP MLA Dharmendra Singh Koli booked on complaint by Congress leader |publisher=Live Mint |date=10 December 2013 |agency=PTI |access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref>

==Personal life== Koli is unmarried and resides with his family in a resettlement colony at Sundar Nagari, Delhi,<ref name="ProfileAtMyNeta" /><ref name="TOINov2013" /> which lies in the Seemapuri constituency.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party: The spoiler among the masses |first=D. K. |last=Singh |date=4 December 2013 |work=The Indian Express|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/arvind-kejriwals-aam-aadmi-party-the-spoiler-among-the-masses/1202845/ |access-date=23 December 2013}}</ref> He has an elder sister, Usha.<ref name="IndianExpress" />

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh Koli, Dharmender}} Category:Living people Category:People from North East Delhi district Category:Delhi MLAs 2013–2015 Category:Aam Aadmi Party politicians from Delhi Category:Year of birth missing (living people)