NEW DELHI: The likes of Kapil Mishra, Shoaib Iqbal, Alka Lamba, Devender Sehrawat, Krishna Tirath and many other turncoats will be closely watched on February 11 when the poll result will be out.
All the three parties — the BJP, Congress and AAP — have fielded turncoats who claimed changing parties meant they were preserving the good work done by them in the past years, in the events when they were declined tickets from their immediate parties. They claimed that they are fighting on the plank of development alone.
Former Congress leader Shoaib Iqbal, who joined AAP, said shifting parties could not be associated with the ‘politics of opportunism’ in his case.
“It is about ideology… I have separated from a party when they have sided with the BJP. If I was just seeking opportunities, people would not vote for me. They have elected me because I have worked for development,” said Iqbal, who won five consecutive terms from Matia Mahal. “The AAP’s ideology is good… it is a secular party and it works for development. Hope I can continue to be with AAP in the future.”
But, Adarsh Shastri, who joined the Congress after being denied ticket by the AAP, said he was disillusioned with the way the AAP functioned. Interestingly, he will fight against AAP’s Vinay Kumar Mishra, an ex vice-president of Delhi Youth Congress, in Dwarka.
“I quit my high-paying job at Apple to help and do good work in society. I was inspired that time by the Jan Lokpal movement hoping Arvind Kejriwal and his party would bring about alternative politics. That dream was shattered. I am thankful to the Congress for helping me fight on the plank of development and honesty.”
Bhisham Sharma, who was expelled from the Congress and went to the BJP, now is fighting on a Congress ticket from Ghonda. “I have always been a Congress person at heart. I joined BJP for a while as I was expelled. I also had difference with Sheila Dikshit… But now the fight is against the BJP,” said the BJP turncoat.
Ram Sangh Netaji, who joined the AAP from the Congress, said the latter party was in ruins and lacked professionalism. “The party is in ruins. Currently, I am fighting for development,” he said.
Historic seat, tough contest
Chandni Chowk will be closely watched as Alka Lamba, the sitting MLA and ex-AAP leader, is Congress candidate. She faces Prahalad Singh Sawhney, a former four-time Congress MLA, who jumped over to AAP.