AAP Leader Randhir Chaudhury Joins BJP Amid Kejriwal Resignation
New Delhi: At a time when the AAP is trying to gain electoral advantage following Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement that he was going to resign as Delhi chief minister, the joint secretary of the party’s Haryana unit, Randhir Chaudhury, joined the BJP on Monday. However, with Mr Kejriwal leading the charge, the AAP will be para-dropping a huge number of party leaders and volunteers to launch an aggressive campaign in the state. The party intends to play the “sympathy” card by projecting Mr Kejriwal as the victim of the BJP’s “witch hunt”. On the other hand, addressing an election rally at his home seat Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda tried to woo the electorate by saying: “I want to fight this battle not for myself but for you… I want Haryana to be the number one once again”.
Mr Chaudhary left the AAP and joined the BJP in the presence of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli in Kurukshetra.
After joining the saffron camp, Mr Chaudhary said: “Now, there is no difference between the AAP and the Congress as both are following the same ideology. Therefore, I left the AAP and joined the BJP”. He said whatever responsibility he was given by the BJP, he would fulfil it “with loyalty and dedication”.
Stepping up the poll campaign, the Congress strongman, Mr Hooda, said while addressing a rally: “You gave me a chance. Whatever I am today, it is due to you and your blessings”. He said even at this age, he wanted to fight an “aar paar ki ladai” (do-or-die battle), not for himself, but for the people of the state, and sought their support to oust the BJP from power. “I want our state to be the number one once again in all spheres,” he asserted.
Referring to the AAP and other parties like the JJP-ASP and INLD-BSP, the 77 year old former CM reiterated that in next month’s elections, the people will “reject the vote katu (vote cutter) parties” and there will be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress, which has been out of power for more than a decade.
Asked how confident he was about the Congress’ victory, Mr Hooda said: “We will win with a big majority. Chattis biradari (people of all sections) have made up their minds to bring the Congress back to power. The BJP is on its way out and the Congress is coming back to power.”