Gandhinagar (Gujarat): Just days ahead of the AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and newly-appointed Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann's visit to Ahmedabad for a planned roadshow, hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, including office-bearers, on Wednesday, joined the ruling BJP at the party headquarters in Gandhinagar.
BJP leaders claimed that around 3000 'angry' AAP workers had taken on the BJP insignia. However, local AAP leaders rubbished the claims as a "sham," saying that barring a few of its suspended members, the others who joined the BJP were never associated with the party.
At a function held at state BJP headquarters 'Kamalam' in the presence of Gujarat unit chief CR Patil, hundreds of people took off their 'AAP caps' and wore saffron ones, the BJP said. Patil welcomed several of them with saffron scarves.
A large number of office-bearers of AAP and the party members from 11 districts of Gujarat joined the BJP at the party headquarters on Wednesday, the BJP said in a release. A leader of Akhandwadi Rashtrawadi Sevadal and his supporters also joined the saffron party, it said.
"These people have seen how our Prime Minister is working for the development and security of the country and upliftment of the common man. They approached the BJP to join the party, and today they were inducted," said senior BJP leader Rajni Patel.
A man claimed that he was the president of a taluka minority morcha of AAP and joined BJP on Wednesday. He said the AAP had not suspended him.
"The AAP is a party rife with corruption. Positions are offered in AAP to only those who offer money, which I do not like. This is the reason I have decided to formally quit AAP," he claimed. Another man said that if hundreds of people are opposing the policies of AAP then it means something is wrong.