Former AAP councillor Ram Narayan Bhardwaj on Monday joined the BJP at the party's Delhi unit office in yet another setback for the ruling party ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.

Bhardwaj was welcomed to the party fold by Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva and North West Delhi MP Yogender Chandolia at a small event with the gift of a 'patka' and sweets. Welcoming him, Sachdeva said that with Bhardwaj’s inclusion, BJP has become even stronger in outer Delhi and is ready to contest the upcoming assembly elections with full strength.

The BJP MP mentioned that Bhardwaj shared with him how Arvind Kejriwal has deceived not just the people of Delhi but his own followers, and the former AAP councillor himself fell victim to this. “Only Arvind Kejriwal’s word is law in the AAP, where members are only allowed to listen, not speak. Kejriwal and his MLAs impose pressure when one tries to serve the public. Therefore, he along with his son and hundreds of supporters, has joined the BJP, trusting in Narendra Modi’s policies. A significant section of the Narela constituency will now strengthen the BJP,” he said.

The former AAP leader on joining the BJP expressed that over the past 10 years, he lived a stifling life within the AAP, as the actions of its leadership contradicted their public statements. “The AAP is a dictatorial party with no sense of democracy, where only Arvind Kejriwal’s whims prevail. I faced immense pressure even when I held a chairman’s seat, whether from MLAs or higher-ups, hindering my ability to work and serve the public,” he said.