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Top former Uttarakhand officials join AAP as party eyes 2022 assembly polls
Dinesh Mohaniya said both the senior retired officers had served in plain and hilly areas of the state and were well-versed with the issues faced by the people.
Former Uttarakhand state election commissioner Suvardhan Shah and former inspector general (IG) Uttarakhand police, Anantram Chauhan, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in presence of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP’s Uttarakhand in-charge Dinesh Mohaniya on Thursday.
“I met Kejriwal and joined AAP today. I retired as state election commissioner in 2018. In November 2019, I joined the BJP. But on Wednesday, I resigned from BJP to join AAP,” said Suvardhan Shah, an IAS officer of 1997 batch.
On why he left BJP, Shah said he will make everything clear in the coming days.
Anantram Chauhan said he retired as IG (CID) in 2018. “I joined AAP as it has done tremendous work in Delhi and I want similar development to happen in my state. Their policies have greatly impressed me. So I want to contribute to AAP in my state given my vast experience of serving in different parts of the state,” he said
Chauhan said he had served as the superintendent of police (SP) in Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts and as senior superintendent of police (SSP) in Nainital district. “In 2014, I was promoted as DIG Kumaon and in 2018 as IG (CID)”, he added.
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Speaking on the occasion, Dinesh Mohaniya said both the senior retired officers had served in plain and hilly areas of the state and were well-versed with the issues faced by the people.
“Their presence in AAP will greatly benefit the party given their vast experience. Both of them have joined AAP as they were impressed by the policies and the vision of AAP. In the coming days, more such people will join AAP, to further strengthen the party in Uttarakhand,” he said.
SS Kaler, president of AAP’s Uttarakhand unit said they are very happy with such senior retired officers joining the party.
“It will strengthen our party and help us to further understand the issues faced by the people in the state,” Kaler said.
Kaler said AAP wants to give people of the Himalayan state a better alternative to BJP and Congress. “Everyone knows how successful our Delhi model of governance has been. We want to replicate the same here,” he added.
