The BJP got a boost ahead of Delhi Assembly polls as Harsharan Singh Balli, former BJP MlA in Delhi who joined Congress party before the 2013 Assembly polls, rejoined the saffron party on Tuesday. Besides, expelled founder member of Aam Aadmi Party, Ashwini Upadhyay, noted singer Shankar Sahney and Youth Congress leader Deepak Kumar also joined the party on the same day.
The four-time former MlA from Hari Nagar Balli had quit BJP after he was denied a ticket to contest the last Assembly polls, returned to the party fold without making any conditions. “I am returning to the BJP as a dedicated worker. I agree that I committed a mistake by resigning from the party last year. I have returned to the BJP without any precondition. I along with my family and friends shall fully cooperate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his campaign for the development of the nation and Delhi,” said Balli. Balli’s entry will strengthen the party in Hari Nagar and Tilak Nagar, which has a significant Sikh electorate.
Apart from Balli, AAP rebel Ashwini Upadhyay also joined the party, in the presence of BJP Delhi in-charge Prabhat Jha and party’s city unit chief Satish Upadhyay. He was AAP’s founder member.
“We all were connected with the Anna Hazare movement and came into politics to stop the degradation of social and national values due to caste, corruption and crime. But the way in which Arvind Kejriwal and some leaders close to him used the energy created by the Anna Hazare movement for grabbing power and again forming Government with the help of corrupt Congress party, disillusioned all of us. In the mean time the energy shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the development of the nation has inspired me and hence, I decided to join the BJP with some of my friends,” said Upadhyay.
Welcoming singer Shankar Sahni, Upadhyay said, “Sahni will be the star campaigner of BJP in the forthcoming Assembly elections and his popularity will benefit BJP.”
On November 21, AAP leader and former Delhi Assembly Speaker MS Dhir joined the BJP.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay informed the office bearers and prominent leaders in the party office on Tuesday that the party will accord civic reception to the Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar lal Khattar on November 29.