Kapil Mishra and AAP women’s wing chief join BJP

he AAP termed Pandey’s exit from AAP as “unfortunate” and alleged Mishra had acted at the behest of the BJP even when he was Delhi’s water minister.

Disqualified rebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kapil Mishra and the party women’s wing chief, Richa Pandey, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday.

Former AAP MLA Kapil Mishra (centre) with Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and party MP Vijay Goel. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The AAP termed Pandey’s exit from AAP as “unfortunate” and alleged Mishra had acted at the behest of the BJP even when he was Delhi’s water minister.

BJP vice-president Shyam Jaju and Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari handed over the membership slips to Mishra and Pandey at an event on Saturday, where Mishra’s mother, Annapurna Mishra, a senior BJP leader and former east Delhi mayor, was present .

While Pandey’s shift to the BJP was sudden, Mishra started leaning towards the saffron party after he was sacked as a Delhi government minister in May 2017.

On August 2, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel disqualified Mishra for sharing the stage with prominent BJP leaders and campaigning against the ruling AAP in Delhi in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections this year.

Mishra, who was elected from Karawal Nagar, has challenged his disqualification in the high court.

Mishra, who was Delhi’s water and tourism minister, took a dig at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging the AAP supremo took multiple U-turns over the past years.

“I have joined BJP because it is time for Delhi to move towards development instead of engaging in the politics of negativity and blame-game,” Mishra said.

Pandey, who headed AAP’s women’s wing and was a spokesperson, said the party that was born out of a search for “alternative politics” has now become a “khaas aadmi” (special people) party.

“There is no freedom of expression in AAP any more. I realised the alternative politics I was seeking was not there at Rouse Avenue (the location of AAP headquarters) anymore. It is here in the BJP,” she said.

Jaju, who is also in charge of Delhi BJP, said more people from AAP are expected to join the BJP.

AAP, in its response, alleged that Mishra, when he was the water minister, tried to sabotage the municipal elections for the Kejriwal-led party.

“We had first-hand information that he was working as a BJP agent. Later, when he was removed from the Cabinet, he levelled dozens of baseless allegations against the party leadership. Even that time, we repeatedly said he is working as per the BJP’s script. He used to repeatedly swear in press conferences that he will never join the BJP in his life. I called his bluff by getting him disqualified as an MLA from the Delhi Assembly,” said Saurabh Bhardwaj, AAP’s chief spokesperson and MLA from Greater Kailash.

Bhardwaj said that in the high court last week, Mishra accused the Speaker of bias while maintaining that he had nothing to do with the BJP.

“We stand vindicated today that he was enacting all theatrics for the drama produced and directed by BJP. This is trademark politics of the BJP and a new normal in Indian politics,” Bhardwaj said in a statement.

On Pandey’s exit Bhardwaj said, “It is unfortunate that she broke the trust reposed on her by the party. However, we warmly wish her a good peaceful life wherever she goes.”