Former Bengaluru top cop Bhaskar Rao joins BJP after quitting AAP

Ex-IPS officer Bhaskar Rao on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the crucial upcoming assembly elections due in May.

Ex-IPS officer and former Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao, quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in May.

Former Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao with Nalin Kumar Kateel and other BJP leaders. (ANI photo)

Rao was the chairman of AAP's manifesto committee and had joined the party in April last year. The former Additional Director General (ADGP)-ranked official cited a “lack of transparency” in AAP as the reason for his exit from the party. He also said the party collects “donations in the name of fighting corruption”.

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“I joined BJP after seeing works of the PM. There's lack of transparency in the party (AAP). It is run like a multinational corporation. Donations are collected in name of fighting corruption,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“I think I can contribute more to BJP. It has huge pan-India presence. PM Modi's vision inspired me to join the party. AAP isn't distant to grow, they are in hands of a coterie, it's shameful two of their ministers are in jail. There's no clarity in party,” he added.

Rao decided to join the BJP after holding a meeting with Karnataka revenue minister R Ashoka, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai, who was also a former IPS officer and the BJP's co-in-charge for the upcoming crucial polls, and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday.

Rao had taken up voluntary retirement from the IPS last year citing personal reasons and joined the AAP, with an eye on securing a ticket from the Basavanagudi Assembly constituency.

(With ANI inputs)