NEW DELHI: In a major setback for the AAP, three of its councillors joined the BJP on Wednesday, just a day before the crucial election for a seat on the MCD’s Standing Committee.
The three councillors, Preeti from Dilshad Colony Garden, Sarita Phogat from Green Park and Praveen Kumar from Madanpur Khadar were inducted into the party in the presence of state BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, and MCD Leader of Opposition Raja Iqbal Singh.
“I joined Kejriwal and his party believing they wanted to do something different, but now I was forced to quit the AAP as a different atmosphere exists there, and it became unbearable for me,” Preeti, a four-time councillor, said while joining the party at the Delhi BJP office.
This vacancy arose following the resignation of BJP councillor Kamaljeet Sehrawat, who stepped down after winning the West Delhi Lok Sabha seat earlier this year.
The election, scheduled for Thursday, is set to fill a vacancy on the 18-member Standing Committee. It plays a critical role in shaping the MCD’s operations, such as managing funds and supervising key development projects across the city.
The Standing Committee, composed of 18 members, recently saw the BJP expand its foothold by winning seven seats in the ward committee elections. Of the 12 members appointed from the ward committees, seven belong to the BJP.