In a boost to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of next year's Assembly election in Delhi, Padma Shri awardee and social worker Jitender Singh Shunty joined the party in the presence of its national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday. Shunty, the president of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Foundation, gained recognition for his humanitarian efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. His entry into the AAP comes shortly after Ram Niwas Goel, speaker of the Delhi Assembly and MLA from Shahdara announced his retirement from electoral politics, citing old age. Shunty is likely to contest from the Shahdara constituency, where he previously served as an MLA from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2013. In 2015, he contested as the BJP candidate but lost to Goel.

Asked if AAP will field Shunty from Shahdara Assembly constituency in the February 2025 Assembly election, Kejriwal said, "Today, we are welcoming him; when the list comes you will know about it. I have high regards for Ram Niwas Goel ji. He has been very close to me. He sent me a letter (announcing retirement) a few days ago. I tried hard to convince him to continue to remain in electoral politics, but he cited his advanced age and ill health. He will be with AAP, but he has decided not to contest the election. We respect his decision."

Upon officially joining the party, Kejriwal expressed his admiration for Shunty's significant contributions to society during the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted Shunty's dedication and efforts in supporting those in need and commended his commitment to public service.

This marks the fifth entry from the BJP to AAP in recent days. On Wednesday, its Jatav face Parvesh Ratn joined the AAP. Earlier, on November 17, Anil Jha, a two-time MLA from Delhi's Kirari Assembly constituency, three-time MLA Brahm Singh Tanwar from Chhatarpur, and BB Tyagi, a two-time councilor, former Standing Committee Chairman, from Laxmi Nagar, also left BJP to join AAP with their supporters.

"I was stepping away from politics to focus on service work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had the opportunity to serve by cremating unclaimed bodies. One day, I received a call from Arvind Kejriwal, who expressed a desire to contribute to this noble cause. My colleagues pointed out the similarity in our work: while he is giving life to people, we are taking care of matters after death. We both draw inspiration from Bhagat Singh, who was the first to raise the issue of human rights in Lahore jail. After the pandemic, I took up the issue of why people should not have access to the bodies of their deceased loved ones," Shunty said after joining the AAP. He was also elected as an MCD councillor in 2012, representing Ward No 238 (Jhilmil).

Earlier in the morning, Delhi Assembly Speaker Goel informed Kejriwal in a letter about his decision to retire from electoral politics due to his advancing age. He expressed gratitude for the respect shown by all party legislators

Responding to the letter, AAP supremo and former Delhi chief minister, Kejriwal said Goel's decision to leave electoral politics "is an emotional moment". His guidance has shown us the right direction inside and outside the House for years. Due to his increasing age and health, he had recently expressed his desire to leave electoral politics just a few days ago. We respect his decision. Goel sahab was, is and will always be the guardian of our family. The party will always need his experience and services in the future too," Kejriwal posted on microblogging platform X.

In his letter, 76-year-old Goel expressed gratitude for the respect shown by all party legislators. Goel has been serving as speaker of the Delhi legislative Assembly since 2015. He represents the Shahdara Assembly seat of Delhi as an MLA.

Goel defeated Shunty in the 2015 Delhi Assembly election by a margin of 11,731 votes. He made electoral debut in 1993 and contested the elections as a BJP candidate, winning the poll. The seventh Delhi Legislative Assembly concluded its five-year term on Wednesday, holding its 74th and final sitting before the upcoming elections slated for February 2025.