Kejriwal loyalists to AAP rebels: Meet 8 MLAs who switch to BJP after axed from Delhi polls

The 8 MLAs, however, person different communal “grievance”: All of them were denied the AAP tickets for the February 5 Delhi polls, with the enactment fielding caller candidates from their seats. The enactment besides had the aforesaid reasons for dropping them: anti-incumbency and adverse feedback astir them from its enactment basal connected the ground.

As galore arsenic 20 sitting MLAs had been dropped, and 3 much whitethorn discontinue the AAP successful the coming days, said Madan Lal, the sitting Kasturba Nagar legislator who discontinue the enactment aft being denied a ticket.

A time aft resigning from the party, each the 8 MLAs joined the BJP connected Saturday successful the beingness of its nationalist vice-president and Delhi in-charge Baijayant Panda. Welcoming the MLAs into the BJP, Panda said it was a “historic day” arsenic these leaders person “come retired of the misery of the AAP-da (disaster) party”. Some of the legislators said they waited until the past day of information to spot if the AAP would alteration its caput connected their candidature, but decided to resign aft the deadline passed.

Madan Lal, Kasturba Nagar

A subordinate of the AAP since its inception, Lal, 68, won the Kasturba Nagar constituency successful 3 consecutive Assembly elections successful 2013, 2015 and 2020. In 2020, helium won by a borderline of implicit 3,000 votes. Before joining the AAP, helium was among the founding members of the Saket Bar Association.

The party, however, decided against fielding him this time, and alternatively nominated Ramesh Pehalwan, a erstwhile BJP person who joined the AAP successful December on with his woman Kusum Lata, a councillor.

In his resignation letter, Lal said helium “lost religion successful (Kejriwal) and the party”. Speaking to The Indian Express, Lal said helium and the different MLAs decided to discontinue the AAP due to the fact that the enactment that was “formed to extremity corruption successful Delhi is itself indulging successful corruption”.

“All of america decided to tender our resignations arsenic we thought it was the cleanable time,” helium said Friday, adding that “There is nary constituent joining the Congress… We whitethorn articulation the BJP if they invitation america to their enactment with respect and honour.”

A time later, Lal, on with 7 different legislators, joined the BJP.

Lal admitted that the AAP leadership’s determination to driblet them arsenic candidates was among the reasons for their “disenchantment”. “We tin accidental that is 1 of the reasons. The enactment removed those who worked for their constituencies and replaced them with candidates who person transgression backgrounds,” helium claimed.

“They (AAP) dropped implicit 20 sitting MLAs. Those they person fixed tickets to are not going to win. They gave tickets successful speech for wealth and we don’t privation to beryllium a portion of a enactment that is progressive successful specified corruption. They (AAP leadership) are reasoning lone astir their governmental ambition and not moving for the people,” helium alleged.

Naresh Yadav, Mehrauli

Naresh Yadav, 52, is simply a salient person successful his Mehrauli seat, which helium has won successful the past 2 consecutive Assembly elections. In the 2015 polls, helium won Mehrauli by much than 16,500 votes and again successful 2020 by implicit 18,000 votes. He had joined the AAP successful 2013, anterior to which helium was a practising lawyer.

Yadav made the headlines past December erstwhile a Punjab tribunal convicted and sentenced him to a two-year situation word successful a 2016 Quran desecration case. Though helium had initially been named arsenic an AAP campaigner contempt the conviction, helium was aboriginal replaced by Mahender Chaudhary, a erstwhile Congress person who joined the AAP successful 2022.

“I person been with the enactment since the Anna Aandolan days, erstwhile (party main Arvind) Kejriwal ji’s ideology was honesty and helium utilized to speech astir eradicating corruption. But present helium and his enactment person go corrupt… Everyone from its MLAs to councillors are neck-deep successful corruption.”

Yadav said helium had decided against contesting connected an AAP summons connected Kejriwal’s request, but was near aggravated erstwhile a Congress turncoat was chosen arsenic his replacement. “I had immoderate cases pending against maine successful a precocious tribunal and Kejriwal ji told maine if I contest, the enactment volition suffer Muslim votes. I agreed but I requested him to springiness the summons to an honorable candidate. I adjacent suggested a fewer names,”’ helium said. “But (Kejriwal) decided to tract an idiosyncratic from different party, who utilized to enactment against the AAP till recently.”

Bhupinder Singh Joon, Bijwasan

Bijwasan MLA Joon, who was a practising lawyer earlier joining the AAP successful 2018, got the enactment summons successful 2020 aft the party’s past sitting legislator from the spot discontinue to articulation the BJP. Joon, 71, won the spot by 753 votes, the smallest borderline recorded successful the 2020 polls. He has been replaced by Surender Bharadwaj this time.

“I was selected arsenic the champion legislator by the Praja Foundation (a Mumbai-based non-profit) due to the fact that of my performance. But the enactment gave summons to a transgression who has intersexual harassment charges against him,” helium alleged portion speaking to The Indian Express.

“Even the (AAP) squad that decided the tickets are criminals – (former communications-in-charge) Vijay Nair, Arvind Kejriwal and (MLA and Political Affairs Committee member) Durgesh Pathak person been booked successful the liquor scam… There was corruption successful the summons distribution,” helium alleged. “I had raised respective issues of my constituency, which irked Kejriwal and his team. That’s wherefore they dropped me.”

Rohit Kumar Mehraulia, Trilokpuri

Mehraulia has been with the AAP since the India Against Corruption question successful 2011. The 48-year-old Dalit person won from Trilokpuri, a reserved constituency, successful 2020. This time, however, helium has been replaced by AAP idiosyncratic Anjana Parcha, who has ne'er contested an election.

In his resignation letter, Mehraulia said, “I near my occupation and joined you (Kejriwal) during the Anna Andolan reasoning that you would bring Baba Saheb’s imagination to beingness by giving adjacent presumption and societal justness to my community… But you lone utilized them (Dalits) for your ballot bank.”

Mehraulia besides alleged that whenever helium tried to rise the issues of his assemblage successful the Assembly oregon enactment meetings, his “voice was suppressed by the party”.

Bhavna Gaur, Palam

A two-time MLA from the Palam constituency, Gaur, 54, joined the AAP successful 2012. She contested and mislaid successful the 2013 Assembly polls to the BJP’s Dharam Dev Solanki, who had been the sitting MLA since 2003. However, Gaur won the spot successful 2015 and 2020, by implicit 30,000 votes each time. She has been replaced by Joginder Solanki arsenic AAP campaigner for the upcoming polls.

In her resignation letter, she said she “lost religion successful (Kejriwal).”

Pawan Sharma, Adarsh Nagar

After joining the AAP successful 2012, Sharma, 66, archetypal contested an Assembly predetermination from Adarsh Nagar successful 2015, winning by implicit 20,000 votes. Though helium won the spot again successful 2020, his triumph borderline was reduced to conscionable implicit 1,500 votes. The AAP has present replaced him with Mukesh Goel, a councillor, arsenic its nominee from the seat.

While resigning from the party, Sharma besides charged that “The enactment has wholly deviated from its ideology.”

Rajesh Rishi, Janakpuri

An AAP subordinate since its inception, 60-year-old Rishi archetypal contested the Assembly polls successful 2013 but mislaid to the BJP candidate. However, helium won the adjacent 2 elections successful 2015 and 2020 from Janakpuri. He has been replaced by Jangpura MLA Praveen Kumar now, who has vacated his spot to marque mode for erstwhile lawman main curate Manish Sisodia.

“The enactment has betrayed those who had enactment their religion successful Arvind Kejriwal to signifier a governmental party. I struggled to physique the enactment and americium pained to spot the AAP deviating from its halfway principle. The party’s enactment has go synonymous with corruption, nepotism and dictatorship,” Rishi alleged successful his resignation letter.

Girish Soni, Madipur

Soni, 61, has been the AAP MLA from the reserved Madipur constituency for 3 consecutive presumption since 2013. This time, the enactment has replaced him with Rakhi Bidlan, Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. The enactment has fielded Bidlan, the sitting Mangolpuri MLA, from a caller seat, citing anti-incumbency.

Posting his resignation missive connected X, Soni alleged, “The activities that person been going connected successful the AAP for a agelong time… go a taxable of disapproval and rise a question people similar ‘Sheesh Mahal’. After this, are we truly communal people? Being shocked by each these issues, I americium resigning from each the responsibilities of the AAP.”