By The Sampadak Express
In a major setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), eight of its Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who had resigned from the party have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) just days ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections. This move has sent shockwaves through the AAP, which is looking to secure a third consecutive term in power.
The MLAs who joined the BJP are:
Vandana Gaur (Palam)
Rohit Mehraulia (Trilokpuri)
Girish Soni (Madipur)
Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar)
Rajesh Rishi (Uttam Nagar)
BS Joon (Bijwasan)
Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli)
Pawan Sharma (Adarsh Nagar)
Seven of these eight legislators had been denied tickets to contest the upcoming polls by AAP, fueling discontent within the party. It is believed that their dissatisfaction with the party’s decisions and internal dynamics led to their departure.
However, the situation surrounding Mehrauli MLA Naresh Yadav is slightly different. Initially given a ticket, Yadav was later replaced after serious allegations surfaced against him regarding the Punjab Quran sacrilege case. The party ultimately chose Mahender Chaudhary to contest from Mehrauli instead, prompting Yadav to resign on Friday.
All eight MLAs, after submitting their resignation letters to the AAP, also tendered their resignations to the Delhi Assembly Speaker, officially relinquishing their membership from the House.
The shift to BJP was marked by a formal event where the former AAP leaders joined the party in the presence of BJP’s National Vice President Baijayant Panda and Delhi Unit Chief Virendraa Sachdeva. Panda welcomed the new members, calling it a “historic” moment for the BJP. He stated that these former AAP members had freed themselves from “AAPda” (disaster) and predicted that, post-February 5 elections, Delhi would also be rid of AAP’s influence.
Resignations and Allegations: A Deepening Rift
The resignation letters of some of the former AAP leaders painted a picture of frustration with the party’s leadership. Palam MLA Bhawna Gaur, in her resignation letter, expressed her loss of faith in both Arvind Kejriwal and the party. Similarly, Madan Lal, the MLA from Kasturba Nagar, wrote in his letter that he was quitting AAP due to his disillusionment with the party’s functioning. Both legislators requested that their resignations be accepted with immediate effect.”
I hereby resign from the primary membership of Aam Aadmi Party as I have lost faith in you and the party. Please accept the same,” Gaur and Madan Lal wrote in separate letters to AAP’s National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal.
In response, AAP’s candidate list for the Delhi Assembly elections includes fresh faces in the constituencies vacated by these former MLAs. The candidates for these areas are:
Mukesh Goel from Adarsh Nagar
Pravin Kumar from Janakpuri
Surendra Bhardwaj from Bijwasan
Joginder Solanki from Palam
Ramesh Pehlwan from Kasturba Nagar
Anjana Parcha from Trilokpuri
Delhi Elections and the Political Battleground
The AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal, is hoping to secure a third consecutive term in the Delhi Assembly. With the elections scheduled for February 5, the party faces stiff competition from the BJP, which has been out of power in Delhi for the last 27 years but remains a formidable force in the capital. The Congress also remains a contender in this high-stakes battle.
The outcome of the Delhi Assembly elections is seen as a significant indicator of the political mood in the national capital, and the counting of votes will take place on February 8.
This mass exodus from AAP to BJP adds to the already charged political environment and will likely have significant repercussions in the final phase of campaigning as parties intensify their efforts to sway voters in the lead-up to the elections.
For rhe latest updates on Delhi Elections stay tuned to The Sampadak Express.
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