NEW DELHI: In yet another setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the party’s former councillor from North West Delhi’s Bankner, Ram Narayan Bhardwaj, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday.
This comes just a day after senior West Delhi politician Harsharan Singh Balli defected to the BJP alongside his son Gurmeet Singh ‘Rikku’ Balli.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva formally welcomed Bhardwaj, his son Pradeep, and several supporters to the party in a gathering also attended by Lok Sabha MP Yogendra Chandolia. “With Ram Narayan Bhardwaj’s inclusion, the BJP has become even stronger in outer Delhi and is ready to contest the upcoming assembly elections with full strength,” Sachdeva said.
In his remarks, Bhardwaj said that his disillusionment with the AAP had grown due to what he described as the authoritarian nature of the AAP leadership, specifically under party chief Arvind Kejriwal. He criticised the leadership style, saying it stifled members’ ability to participate meaningfully, and added that he had felt pressured for a decade while representing Narela.
His experience within AAP, including a stint as chairman, was marked by increasing frustration as he found the leadership’s actions often contradicted their public statements. “Even when I held the chairman’s seat, I faced immense pressure from MLAs and other higher-ups, hindering my ability to work and serve the public. Due to this suffocating environment, I have left the party along with my supporters,” Bharadwaj said.
Meanwhile, senior Sikh leader Harsharan Singh Balli joined the BJP on Sunday. Balli, a significant figure in Delhi’s Sikh community, was joined by his son, Gurmeet Singh “Rikku” Balli, a youth leader from the AAP. The two joined the BJP in the presence of Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, alongside former Mayor Subhash Arya and former MLA Subhash Sachdeva. Sachdeva praised Balli for his crucial role in expanding Delhi’s industrial sector during his time as industry minister.
Highlighting Balli’s legacy, Sachdeva criticised the Congress Party for policies that led to sealing drives affecting the business community. He said Balli was at the forefront of protests against these policies, even facing jail time for supporting traders, earning him lasting respect among the city’s business community. Balli’s addition to the BJP is seen as a strategic move for the party, strengthening its outreach among Sikh and business communities, mainly in areas like Hari Nagar, Moti Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri, and Vishwas Nagar.