NEW DELHI: Shahbad Dairy councillor Ram Chander on Thursday rejoined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) just days after switching to the BJP. It comes ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) ward committee elections scheduled for September 4.
Chander, a former AAP member, and four other AAP councillors defected to the BJP on August 25. However, on Thursday, he expressed regret, stating, “Joining BJP was my biggest mistake… I will remain with the Aam Aadmi Party throughout my life.”
In a post in Hindi on X, Sisodia said, “I met Aam Aadmi Party colleague and former Bawana Vidhan Sabha MLA Ramchandra. Today, he has returned to his Aam Aadmi family.”
Chander had previously voiced concerns about the inaccessibility of AAP’s top leadership and dissatisfaction over not receiving a ticket in the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections despite being a former MLA who won the 2017 Bawana by-elections.
AAP credited former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh for facilitating Chander’s return, stating, “The day before yesterday, Ram Chander had joined BJP, but today, he has come back to Aam Aadmi Party.”
Chander’s return could significantly impact the upcoming ward committee elections in the Narela Zone. His defection had given the BJP a majority, but with his return, both parties now have equal representation on the Narela ward committee, potentially leading to a tie.
The elections are crucial since 12 of the 18 members of the Standing Committee, the MCD’s financial decision-making body, are elected during these elections. Historically, the Narela Zone has seen frequent ties in such polls, often resolved by drawing lots.
