Amid party’s bracing up for the Delhi Assembly elections which is scheduled to take place early next year, five AAP Councillors on Sunday joined the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders, including State party president Virendra Sachdeva, South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and North west MP Yogendra Chandolia.

The five AAP Councillors who switched loyalties include Ward 28 Councillor Ramchandra, Ward 30 Councillor Pawan Sehrawat, Ward 177 Councillor Mamta Pawan, Ward 178 Councilor Sugandha Bidhuri, and Ward 180 Councillor Manju Nirmal. Moreover, along with them three leaders of AAP Sachin Bidhuri, Raju Nirmal, and Pawan Kumar also joined the BJP. Notably, after the Joining these five Councilors, BJP is in majority in seven wards of MCD. Meanwhile, earlier, MCD Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi ordered the MCD Secretary to initiate the election process of one member to the Standing Committee from the Wards Committee.

At the Press conference, former AAP Delhi Minister who has joined BJP Rajkumar Anand and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Raja Iqbal Singh welcomed the new councillors and leaders into the BJP by presenting them with party scarves.

The turncoats said that the reason for leaving AAP and joining BJP is out of frustration with the corruption and incompetence in AAP’s top leadership that has come to light in the last two years and are inspired by the dedication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to public service.

While welcoming them into the party, Delhi BJP chief said, “When any member of the opposition joins the BJP, the reason is the efficiency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his welfare schemes, which have given new hope to the people of the country. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is continuously moving forward on the path of development, and we are continuously setting new records.”

He alleged that AAP government is halting the development projects in the city and hence people have started working with the BJP. “We have all seen over the past 10 years how the corruption-ridden AAP government has been working to halt development projects in Delhi. Today, those who have decided to join the BJP will work together with us to serve the public,” he claimed. Bidhuri said that the BJP gives everyone a chance to work positively while urging all councilors to work on development in their wards and adhering to party discipline.

Meanwhile, Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav said that with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in jail, and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia out on bail, the AAP-ruled Delhi Government and the MCD have been moving without any direction and purpose, with all development works and civic services having got stalled. “The desperate AAP Councillors were now looking for better pastures, and the sagging image of the AAP was clearly reflected when five of its Councillors joined the BJP,” Yadav said.

Earlier in July, several AAP leaders, including party MLAs and councillors, switched allegiance and joined the BJP. Those include Chhatarpur MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar, Raaj Kumar Anand, former Delhi minister and ex-AAP Patel Nagar MLA, and Anand’s wife Veena Anand, who was as elected as Patel Nagar MLA in 2013 on an AAP’s ticket.

Further, besides the three, AAP’s Said-Ul-Ajaib councillor Umed Singh Phogat and AAP members Ratnesh Gupta and Sachin Rai also joined the BJP.