New Delhi: Former Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar and former Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday as the Arvind Kejriwal-led party looks to expand its national footprint following its massive poll victory in Punjab.
Both Tanwar and Bhaskar Rao joined the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Interestingly, Ashok Tanwar had joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress just four months ago. Ashok Tanwar, who quit the Congress in 2019, was once considered a close aide of Rahul Gandhi.
"After Delhi and Punjab, now there will be 'politics of work' in Haryana also," the AAP tweeted after Tanwar joined the party.
The AAP has already made its intention clear on contesting the next Haryana Assembly election following its impressive show in neighbouring Punjab.
Former Karnataka IPS officer Bhaskar Rao said he was very impressed with leadership of Arvind Kejriwal. Bhaskar Rao's entry comes just ahead of civic polls in Bengaluru.
"I am very impressed with leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, looking at the administration of Delhi in last 6-7 years. My mission is to bring the good governance of Arvind Kejriwal to south India, especially in Bengaluru. There is no dearth of anything but quality leadership in Karnataka," ANI quoted Bhaskar Rao as saying.
Rao, a 1990 batch IPS officer, is known for his people-friendly approach. He was appointed as the Bengaluru Police Commissioner when the BJP took over from the Congress-JD (S) coalition government in 2019.
Rao had applied for voluntary retirement and submitted his resignation in September 2021.
During his tenure as a police commissioner, Rao took strict measures against rampant drug racket in Bengaluru. He was the first commissioner who spoke openly about rampant drug trafficking in Bengaluru, IANS reported.