Former BJP MLA Anil Jha Joins AAP Hours After Kailash Gahlot's Resignation

The development came on the heels of AAP MLA and Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot resigning from the party, citing unmet promises and recent controversies as his reasons.

AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal with former BJP MLA Anil Jha after the latter joined the party, at the party office, in New Delhi, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.

Source : PTI

Former BJP MLA Anil Jha officially joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday, with the party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal welcoming him into the fold. The development came on the heels of AAP MLA and Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot resigning from the party, citing unmet promises and recent controversies as his reasons.

According to a report by India Today, Jha, who served two terms as a BJP MLA from the Kirari Assembly constituency in North West Delhi, expressed his dissatisfaction with the leadership and policies of the BJP.

He stated that his decision to join AAP was driven by his alignment with Kejriwal’s vision for development, particularly for the Purvanchali community.

दिल्ली में बीजेपी के पूर्व विधायक अनिल झा ने आम आदमी पार्टी ज्वॉइन कर ली है. आप संयोजक अरविंद केजरीवाल ने उन्हें सदस्यता दिलाई. आप ज्वाइन करने के बाद अनिल झा ने स्वास्थ्य और शिक्षा के मॉडल की तारीफ की. अनिल झा किराड़ी से बीजेपी के दो बार के विधायक रहे हैं.#delhi #aap #aniljha… pic.twitter.com/eYBvJSVNri

— ABP News (@ABPNews) November 17, 2024

Jha praised Arvind Kejriwal, and said, "If there is one person who has worked for the Purvanchali community in Delhi, it is Arvind Kejriwal."

He highlighted that residents in the area lived with inadequate infrastructure, including faulty sewer lines and unauthorised water pipes. "In 10 years under Arvind Kejriwal, drinking water reached every household," Jha added.

Giving a warm welcome to Anil Jha into the party, Arvind Kejriwal said, "Anil Jha is considered one of the biggest leaders of the Purvanchali community in Delhi. People from UP and Bihar come to Delhi for education and employment. For years, both the BJP and Congress ignored their needs. When I became Chief Minister, we initiated development work in these colonies to improve their living conditions."

Anil Jha Lashes Out At Bjp’s Delhi Unit

Jha took a dig at the BJP’s Delhi unit, comparing some leaders to “spoiled sons” and describing the party’s central leadership as an “old father” incapable of keeping them in check.

आम आदमी पार्टी और @ArvindKejriwal जी ने दलित, महादलित और पूर्वांचल समाज के लोगों के लिए ज़मीनी स्तर पर काम किया है।

इन्हीं कामों से प्रभावित होकर मैं आज से AAP के कार्यकर्ता के रूप में काम करूंगा।

अनिल झा pic.twitter.com/xZK6ppYNJP

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 17, 2024

He described the BJP's Delhi office at 14 Pant Marg as a "slaughterhouse." He alleged that financial extortion takes place in the office. Jha stated, "If I had stayed in the BJP, my political career would have been killed as well." He added that while the BJP may have its strengths as a national party, Delhi's elections are different, and the BJP needs to understand the nuances of the capital.

Jha accused the BJP of disrespecting the Purvanchali community in Delhi. Commenting on Kailash Gahlot’s resignation from AAP, Jha remarked that the people of Delhi vote not for individuals like Gahlot but for Arvind Kejriwal, who is the true leader of the city. 

Interestingly, Jha’s wife continues to be a member of the BJP.

Purvanchali voters, once loyal to Congress, shifted en masse to AAP in the 2015 assembly elections, securing victory for 13 AAP candidates from the community. The inclusion of Jha is seen as a strategic move to bolster AAP’s influence in the Purvanchali-dominated areas ahead of next year’s Delhi elections.