Rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra to join BJP today

New Delhi: Former city minister and AAP rebel Kapil Mishra is all set to join the BJP on Saturday.

According to well-placed sources, Mr Mishra will join the saffron party in the presence of BJP national vice president and Delhi in-charge Shyam Jaju and state unit president Manoj Tiwari.

A party insider told this newspaper that two more prominent faces of AAP in the national capital will join BJP next week.

There was strong speculation about Mr Mishra joining since the time he started criticising AAP supremo and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. On many occasions, he was seen with BJP leaders at public functions.

Mr Mishra’s mother, Annapurna Mishra, is a member of BJP and was the mayor of party-ruled East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) in 2012-13.

Earlier this month, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel disqualified rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra, who was elected from Karawal Nagar Assembly, under the anti-defection law, saying his campaigning for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha polls indicated that he had given up the membership of his original political party.

According to an order issued by the Speaker, Mr Mishra’s disqualification took effect from January 27 this year, when he shared the dais with Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and the then Union minister, Vijay Goel, against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

After Mr Mishra’s joining BJP, two more prominent faces of AAP are all set to join BJP next week.

“These two leaders are in touch with us and the party leadership has allowed their joining. Of the two, one is an elected member of the Delhi Assembly while the other is a prominent office bearer of AAP in Delhi,” said a BJP leader.