With election fever picking up in Delhi, two senior leaders switched sides on Sunday. Congress leader and five-time legislator Mateen Ahmed joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) while former Delhi Minister Harsharan Singh Balli quit the ruling party and returned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mr. Ahmed joined AAP days after his son and daughter-in-law became part of the party.
AAP national covener Arvind Kejriwal welcomed Mr. Ahmed and acknowledged his dedicated service to the people of east Delhi. Senior AAP leaders, including Delhi Cabinet Minister Imran Hussain and party’s MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak, were present.
Referring to Mr. Ahmed’s long political career, Mr. Kejriwal said he has finally come to the right party and it is better late than never. “He is a prominent figure in Delhi’s politics. Like AAP, which is known for its commitment to the people, Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed is renowned in his area for always being there for his constituents, through good times and bad,” he said.
After joining AAP, Mr. Ahmed said: “I was inspired by Mr. Kejriwal’s politics with purpose and I decided to join AAP. I thank Mr. Kejriwal for making me a part of the AAP family. My sole objective now is to strengthen the party and serve the people wholeheartedly.”
Balli is back
Mr. Balli, a former BJP Minister and four-time MLA, had joined AAP in January 2020. He returned to the BJP in the presence of party’s Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva, who said with Mr. Balli returning to the party, the Delhi BJP has gained a strong leader within both the Sikh community and the industrial sector.
His joining will benefit areas such as Hari Nagar, Moti Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri, and Vishwas Nagar, Mr. Sachdeva added.
Mr. Balli said he had joined AAP with great hope, inspired by Mr. Kejriwal’s words, but left the party after five years in disappointment as its government has severed Delhi from development and pushed it into corruption.
“Along with the entire country, the Sikh community looks towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi with trust and is grateful for bringing the 1984 riots accused, Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, to justice,” he said.
Mr. Balli expressed confidence that with Kumar and Tytler becoming criminals in the eyes of the law, the Sikh community of Delhi will bring a major victory to the BJP in 2025.
With only three months to go for the Delhi Assembly election, scheduled in February next year, all three parties — AAP, BJP, and Congress — are in election mode by launching their own outreach programmes. Leaders from the three parties have hit the ground running and are in the process of carrying out surveys and also deciding candidates.
Published - November 11, 2024 01:32 am IST
