AAP Himachal chief, two others join BJP

SHIMLA: The Aam Aadmi Party’s Himachal Pradesh unit suffered a major setback after its state unit president Anup Kesari, organisational general secretary Satish Thakur and Una district chief Iqbal Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi.

The three leaders joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Anurag Thakur at the Delhi residence of BJP national president JP Nadda on Friday.

“Kejriwal ji, pahadi people will not let you befool them. AAP’s Himachal president Anoop Kesari, organisation secretary Satish Thakur and Una president Iqbal Singh joined the BJP in the graceful presence of our national president Nadda. You are all welcome to the world’s largest political party,” Thakur tweeted, soon after the induction.

“All AAP candidates forfeited their deposit in Uttar Pradesh and the same would be repeated in Himachal Pradesh,” he added.

The development came days after AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal held a massive roadshow in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, the home turf of chief minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Himachal is set to go to the polls at the end of this year, and the AAP has decided to contest all 68 seats. Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has been appointed as the election in charge.

Speaking to reporters after joining the BJP, Kesari said that he was miffed over disrespect meted out to the AAP’s local leadership during the Mandi roadshow. “Except CM Kejriwal and CM Mann, no one was allowed on the vehicle. It was an insult to the local leadership. We can’t compromise on our self-respect,” he said.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, however, took a dig at Kesari, accusing him of facing complaints regarding “harassment and inappropriate behaviour towards women”.

“The BJP was so hurried in moving towards this opportunity that they inducted someone with a dubious record. This party worker (Kesari) is someone against whom the AAP had received a large number of complaints regarding harassment and inappropriate behaviour towards women, of which there is clear proof. The man that AAP had summoned to take action... and who was going to be removed from our party has now been embraced by the president of the BJP,” he said.

ANI Union minister Anurag Thakur and BJP chief JP Nadda welcome new party members Anoop Kesari, Satish Thakur and Iqbal Singh, in New Delhi on Friday.