Eight outgoing AAP MLAs join BJP

Eight AAP MLAs with Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda in New Delhi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

With four days to go for the Delhi Assembly poll, eight outgoing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs who were denied tickets by the party on Saturday (February 1, 2025) joined the BJP, alleging that the AAP deviated from its “original ideology” and is “marred in corruption.”

The MLAs include Vandana Gaur (Palam), Rohit Mehraulia (Trilokpuri), Girish Soni (Madipur), Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar), Rajesh Rishi (Uttam Nagar), Bhupinder Singh Joon (Bijwasan), Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli) and Pawan Sharma (Adarsh Nagar).

They had resigned from the party’s primary membership on Friday and sent their resignation letters to the Assembly speaker, relinquishing their membership of the House.

Former AAP MLA Vijender Garg Vijay and several other AAP leaders also joined the BJP in the presence of Baijayant Panda, its national vice president and Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva.

Welcoming the former AAP party members, Mr. Panda said it is a “historic” day as the new joiners have eliminated “AAP-da” (disaster).

Reacting to the development, AAP said it is a “widely loved party” with many able and well-educated candidates aspiring for tickets. “This time, some MLAs were denied tickets, leading to the dissatisfaction,” the party said.

It alleged that for the past few weeks, BJP leaders have been “approaching AAP MLAs” who were denied tickets, “luring them with various offers like post in the party and incentives”.