New Delhi: In a setback to AAP ahead of the crucial municipal polls in the national capital, MLA Ved Parkash resigned from the party and the Delhi Assembly on Monday to join BJP, alleging that the Arvind Kejriwal government has “failed” to deliver on its poll promises.
The move is seen as a shot in the arm for BJP as elections to the three municipal corporations are scheduled on April 23. Mr Parkash, who represented Bawana in the Assembly, alleged that the MLAs who talk of development are suppressed by AAP’s top leadership.
He joined BJP at its Delhi unit office in the presence of Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and the state in-charge, Shyam Jaju. Later, accompanied by Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, he submitted his resignation at the Assembly Speaker’s office.
After joining BJP, Mr Prakash claimed that there are 30-35 AAP MLAs who are not happy with the party’s leadership, indicating that an unrest has been brewing within AAP.
“Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is not concerned about what is happening at the ground level. Instead, he only focuses on how to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. The AAP government is being run through ‘laptop’ and there is no connect with the ground reality. I had joined AAP with the hope that there will be some change, but I am disillusioned. I have neither quit under duress nor will I take any post in BJP. I will abide by the decisions taken by the party leadership,” said Mr Prakash.
Explaining the reason behind joining BJP, Mr Prakash, who was once a member of BJP before joining AAP, said: “I have been influenced by BJP’s recent decision to make a priest (Adityanath Yogi) the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Modiji is a saint and with this hope I have joined BJP.”
Mr Tiwari said that the people of Delhi have now understood how they were “cheated” by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “Corruption has not been brought down in Delhi. There is corruption in every department of the government,” he said.
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party on the grounds of development, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said that it shows the saffron party is flustered ahead of the civic polls and these MLAs are being put in the forefront to speak against the AAP supremo, Mr Kejriwal, and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.
“They are resorting to the same tactics that they had employed before the Assembly polls. The party has been the reason to cause split in AAP and has horse traded Vinod Kumar Binny and Ashok Chauhan before. BJP does not believe in democracy as it has murdered democracy to make governments in several states. The public will soon give its verdict in the upcoming polls,” he added.
Mr Parkash’s resignation has brought down AAP’s tally to 65 in the 70-member Delhi Legislative Assembly.
