Ahead of the civic polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced a major setback with its MlA Ved Parkash resigning from the party and the Delhi Assembly to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday.
“I hereby tender my resignation of my seat in the House with effect from March 27, 2017 forenoon,” read his resignation letter to the Speaker of the Delhi legislative Assembly. Parkash has alleged that the AAP Government “failed” to fulfill the promises as per the party manifesto.
Post Uttar Pradesh victory, it is another boost to the BJP who has been pushing its Delhi cadre to retain the civic agencies in the upcoming local poll.
Parkash, who represented Bawana in the Assembly, has alleged the party’s top leadership of “suppressing” the party legislators who support development. This allegation is ironical for the AAP who have made tall claims of development through its work in health, education and water.
He joined the BJP at its Delhi unit office in the presence of Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and State party incharge Shyam Jaju. later, accompanied by leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, he submitted his resignation at the Assembly Speaker’s office.
While Parkash claimed that around 30 AAP MlAs are unhappy with the party’s leadership, the leaders of the AAP immediately came out in the media refuting the former’s claims and called it a “political” conspiracy of the BJP in view of the MCD polls scheduled on April 23.
Accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of “disconnect” with the ground reality, Prakash said he (Kejriwal) only focuses on “defaming” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Government.
“I had joined the AAP with a hope that there will be some change, but I am disillusioned...I have neither quit under duress nor will I take any post in the BJP and will abide by the decisions taken by the party leadership. I have been influenced by the BJP’s recent decision to make a priest (Adityanath Yogi) the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Modiji is a saint and with this hope I have joined the BJP,” he told reporters at a Press conference at the Delhi BJP office.
Delhi BJP chief Tiwari said the people of Delhi have now understood how they were “cheated” by the AAP. “The AAP and its Government is only working for Kejriwal’s political ascendancy due to which developmental works in Delhi have come to a standstill; and there is frustration among public representatives,” Said Delhi BJP president Tiwari.
Parkash resignation has brought down the AAP’s tally to 65 in the 70-member Delhi legislative Assembly. There are also four rebel MlAs.
Reacting to the resignation, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, “As the news of AAP’s announcement of waiving off house tax if it came in power in MCDs was out, the BJP was shaken. The BJP could not handle the ground reality that every house in Delhi wants to vote for AAP as the party has fulfilled the promises of cutting electricity bills and water. Thus, the BJP is playing political conspiracies to attempt breaking the momentum of the AAP.”
Singh refuted the news of another AAP MlA, Kasturba Nagar, Madan lal resigning. He said a media organisation is “running wrong” news about AAP MlAs saying that “Madan lal is also leaving and joining BJP.” “I request that the media must confirm this completely.” Meanwhile, lal also came out in support of his party (AAP) refuting the news.
“I can never think of leaving the great party of a leader who is famous world over. .. with whatever intention this news has been carried, I will complain in the Press Council,” lal told the media. Another AAP leader also said the party had not expected Parkash’s resignation. He alleged that the issues of Dalit are being “ignored” by the AAP Government and this is the cause of resentment in the party.