AAP municipal councillor Sunita joins BJP, says influenced by PM Modi’s work

An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor from Dwarka, Sunita, has defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing disappointment with the AAP's corruption. The councillor, who goes by only one name, joins former municipal councillor Ramniwas in the defection. The AAP has yet to issue a response. Sunita's departure is unlikely to affect the AAP's chances in the upcoming mayoral polls on 26 April, where the party has a comfortable majority.

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor from Dwarka Sunita on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a function at the party office in the presence of state unit chief Virendra Sachdeva and west Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the BJP is open to accepting all those who want to work honestly and have been fighting against corruption in Delhi government (Twitter/Virend_Sachdeva)

Sunita, who won from the Dwarka-C ward and who goes by only one name, said she was feeling suffocated in AAP.

“We have an old relationship with BJP… We joined AAP last year with the hope of change, but there was only corruption and disappointment which left us disheartened and forced to leave AAP. We have joined the BJP after being influenced by the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his efficient leadership,” said Sunita after she joined the BJP along with former municipal councillor Ramniwas.

She is the second AAP councillor to join the BJP after AAP secured a majority in the municipal elections held in December 2022. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor stressed that she joined the BJP on her own.

As Virendra Sachdeva welcomed Sunita and Ramnivas into the party, he underlined that the BJP’s doors were open for other AAP councillors as well.

“I have come to know that several AAP councillors are feeling suffocated due to corruption in the party, and want to switch over to the BJP. The BJP is open to accepting all those who want to work honestly and have been fighting against corruption in Delhi government. The AAP treats the councillors like bonded labourers and they are insensitive to the councillors who have won the elections and represent people of their areas,” Sachdeva said.

AAP is yet to respond to the development. The story will be updated when AAP responds.

Sunita’s exit is not likely to affect AAP’s chances in the April 26 mayoral polls because AAP has a comfortable majority in the MCD house.

Currently, AAP, which has a clear majority in the MCD House, has a mayor and deputy mayor. The second round of mayoral polls is scheduled on April 26. The AAP has nominated incumbent mayor, Shelly Oberoi, and her deputy, Aaley Mohammad Iqbal, as the party’s candidates for the polls. The BJP has fielded Greater Kailash councillor Shikha Rai for the post mayor while Soni Pandey, councillor from Sonia Vihar, will be BJP’s candidate for deputy mayor.

The 250-member strong House has 132 AAP councillors (it had 134 earlier out of which 2 joined the BJP), 107 BJP councillors (It won 104 seats and one independent candidate and one AAP councillor had joined the BJP), 9 Congress councillors and two Independents.Anti-defection laws do not apply to municipal corporations and the votes in the mayoral election are cast through secret ballot.

The electoral college for the election of mayor includes 250 elected councillors, seven members of the Lok Sabha, three members of the Rajya Sabha and 1/5th of the members of the Delhi Assembly (14 MLAs) nominated by the Speaker by rotation every year. Delhi Assembly speaker has nominated 13 AAP MLAs and one BJP MLA for representation in the MCD.

Besides 132 councillors, the AAP has three Rajya Sabha MPs, 13 MLAs in the electoral college (150 votes), where as the BJP has 107 councillors, seven Lok Sabha MPs and one MLA (113 votes). While the 10 persons nominated by the LG (administrator), called alderman, are also part of the House of councillors, they do not have voting rights in the House.

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