New Delhi [India], January 21: Just days before the Delhi Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced a significant blow as four of its leaders, including two municipal councillors, switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday.
The defectors include municipal councillors Rekha Rani from Bhajanpura and Shilpa Kaur from Khyala, who joined the BJP in the presence of party leaders Harsh Malhotra, Manoj Tiwari, and Kamaljeet Sehrawat. Sridatt Sharma, a former MLA from Ghonda (2015-2020), and Chaudhary Vijendra, the parliamentary representative of AAP MP Sanjay Singh, also made the shift to the BJP.
With the Delhi Assembly elections fast approaching, political defections have become a notable trend. Recently, several AAP leaders and workers had joined the BJP, including Kapil Naagar, a two-time candidate from the Kamla Nagar ward of Model Town, along with over 100 AAP supporters. This event was held in the presence of BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri, who is contesting the Kalkaji seat in the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, several leaders from Delhi Congress and BJP also switched to AAP, joining in the presence of Chief Minister Atishi. Among the new members were Mamta Verma, former Congress candidate from Wazirpur assembly, and Banwari Lal Upadhyay, a former Congress candidate from Kirari, as well as Bhumika Singh, a former BJP councillor candidate from Seemapuri.
With voting scheduled for February 5 and vote counting set for February 8, Delhi is headed for a three-way contest between the AAP, BJP, and Congress. The AAP, which secured a dominant 62 out of 70 seats in the 2020 elections, is set to face competition from the BJP and Congress, which has struggled in recent elections.