New Delhi, Mar 22: Ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections 2017, around 15 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday. BJP in a statement claimed that the volunteers were upset with the functioning of AAP after which they decided to switch side. The volunteers switched sides days before Arvind Kejriwal begins his campaigning trail for the MCD elections.
It is been reported that most of the AAP workers that switched sides belonged to the Rohini and Sultanpur Majra area. The workers gathered at the residence of Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari before switching sides. Addressing the media, Manoj Tiwari stated that AAP workers switching sides indicate that the people have lost faith in the party. Naved Siddiqui, the AAP minority wing in Kirari assembly constituency in an interview to The Times of India stated that “AAP is giving tickets to corrupt people. Genuine workers have no say.”
BJP in a statement claimed that AAP Rohini district president Aman Dabas, vice president Anju Dabas, Sultanpur Majra assembly president Sher Singh, chief of constituency’s women’s wing and vice president of SC/ST wing Manisha Singh ahs also joined the party.
Reacting to the news, a senior AAP leader stated that 10 days ago, the party was informed that the party workers were joining Swaraj India but now the volunteers are being reported to join BJP. Most of the volunteers switching sides belong to the Sultanpur Majra and are reported to be close to MLA Sandeep Kumar. Sandeep Kumar was suspended from the party last year.
Kejriwal to start campaigning from March 31
AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will start campaigning for the party from March 31. The party president is scheduled to hold over two dozen public meetings and will also hold a large number of Jansabhas similar to the strategy used by the party in 2015 Assembly elections.
It is also been reported that ahead of the MCD elections, the party has ordered around 500 projectors and two projectors will be assigned to each ward. The volunteers have also been assigned the role of organising at least three shows of video daily in crowded places. For the MCD elections, while BJP and Congress have not yet released the list of candidates, AAP has announced candidates for 260 out of the 272 municipal seats.
Polling for the three corporations of Delhi will be held on April 22 and results for the same will be announced on April 25.
