New Delhi: During a roadshow in Mandi constituency a few days ago, Anup Kesari, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president of Himachal Pradesh, joined the BJP with two other party activists, expressing their unhappiness with AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and accusing him of “being uneducated.”
In a severe blow for the AAP in Himachal Pradesh, the state unit’s president Anup Kesari, general secretary organisation Satish Thakur, and Una district leader Iqbal Singh joined the BJP at JP Nadda’s residence in New Delhi.
Speaking to ANI, Mr Kesari said, “We have been working round the clock with utmost honesty and dedication for AAP for the past eight years in Himachal Pradesh. However, Arvind Kejriwal overlooked the state party workers when he came for a rally and roadshow in Mandi. In the hill state, AAP workers considered this ignorance as an insult and quit the party for self-respect.”
“We are very much disappointed with him (Kejriwal). He could not even turn his eyes towards us who work day and night for the party. Only Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann were the key highlights of the roadshow in Mandi,” Mr Kesari stated.
After joining the BJP, he promised Union Minister Anurag Thakur and party national president JP Nadda that he would work even harder to return the party to power in the next assembly elections.
Satish Thakur and Iqbal Singh both cited the same reason for leaving the AAP, claiming that workers who had pledged allegiance to the party were humiliated by the Delhi and Punjab chief ministers during a roadshow in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.
“We felt insulted and ignored during the roadshow on April 6. So, we decided to join BJP to work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and serve the people of Himachal Pradesh,” Mr Thakur said.
Mr Singh said, “Only Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann participated in the roadshow. They did not bother about interacting with the party workers of Himachal Pradesh. They ignored and insulted us. Hence, we joined BJP.”
Anurag Thakur welcomed the AAP’s top three leaders to the BJP, saying their presence and support will help the party maintain power in Himachal Pradesh.
During the roadshow, he also chastised Kejriwal for disparaging his own party’s employees.
“On one side, Kejriwal talks about his party all the time, and on the other side, he overlooked and insulted his own dedicated workers. During the roadshow in Mandi, except CM Kejriwal and CM Mann, no one was allowed on the vehicle. No leader was given a place on the rath (vehicle). Their entry will strengthen our party,” the minister said.
After a landslide victory in Punjab, the AAP is now eyeing Himachal Pradesh. Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh are scheduled for December of this year. The AAP will now run for all 68 seats in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.
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