Setback for AAP as 5 MCD councillors switch to BJP
New Delhi: In a significant setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections next year, five Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) councillors from AAP have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The defection might be seen as a blow to AAP and a boost for the BJP as it prepares for the upcoming polls.
The councillors who switched allegiances include Ramchandra (Ward 28), Pawan Sehrawat (Ward 30), Mamta Pawan (Ward 177), Sugandha Bidhuri (Ward 178), and Manju Nirmal (Ward 180). The move was announced at a press conference held at the Delhi BJP office, where the new members were formally welcomed by Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and other senior leaders.
Manju Nirmal said, “I have chosen to join the BJP because of the evident failures of the Aam Aadmi Party in addressing the key challenges facing Delhi. The BJP’s vision for development and its proven track record of governance under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership provide a hopeful future.” Pawan Sehrawat further added that the corruption within AAP and its ineffective governance have hindered Delhi’s growth.
“My decision to join the BJP comes from a deep sense of disappointment with the current administration’s inability to address the pressing issues in our city,” he said. Sachdeva welcomed the new entrants with open arms, praising them for their decision and attributing their shift to the inefficacy and corruption within AAP. “Whenever a member of the opposition joins the BJP, it is due to the efficiency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
his welfare schemes, which have provided new hope to the people of the country,” Sachdeva remarked. He criticised the AAP government for allegedly stalling development projects in Delhi and asserted that
the BJP would now work towards public service with these new additions.
The timing of this defection follows a recent pattern of AAP members joining the BJP. Earlier in July, prominent AAP figures, including MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar and former Delhi Minister Raj Kumar Anand, along with other leaders, made a similar move.
During the press conference, BJP leaders including MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Yogendra Chandolia, and senior party figure Arvinder Singh Lovely, welcomed the new members and expressed confidence in their contributions to the party’s efforts. MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri emphasised the importance of party discipline and urged the new councillors to focus on development in their respective wards.
Meanwhile, AAP in a statement said that the people of Delhi will deliver a resounding response to the BJP.
“AAP stands firm as a party of unwavering honesty and patriotism, ready to face jail rather than bow down to the BJP. We follow the path of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. We won’t be intimidated by the BJP’s poaching tactics,” the statement read.
