New Delhi: It seems that the 'Modi magic' has created a magnetic field in the national capital ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls due to which various leaders and social workers are making a beeline to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Making a fresh entry in the party, expelled Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Vinod Kumar Binny joined the BJP on Sunday.
Binny's induction was announced by the BJP Delhi chief Satish Upadhyay today during a parliamentary board meeting here. Earlier, former top cop and Kejriwal's ex-colleague from social activist Anna Hazare's India Against Corruption Campaign Kiran Bedi and ex-AAP leader Shazia Ilmi had joined the party.
Welcoming him to the BJP, Satish Upadhyay lauded the fact that Binny was the "first one to raise his voice against undemocratic processes in AAP".
According to reports Binny may now fight the Assembly polls from Patparganj constituency.
Patparganj Assembly constituency belongs to East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The place is well known for its industrial area. The constituency has been a Congress bastion since 1998. The seat witnessed a triangular contest in 2013 Assembly elections as AAP fielded its contestant against traditional rivals Congress and BJP. Manish Sisodia of AAP however emerged as the winner and is the present MLA. He defeated Anil Kumar of Congress with a huge margin.
Shortly after joining the party, Binny hit out at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal saying the former Delhi CM is a "liar" and "absconder” who quit as Delhi Chief Minister “in a planned manner” because he could not fulfill the promises made by the AAP. "Vote pane ke liye Arvind Kejriwal ne jhooth bola, logon ke emotions ke saath khela," he said.
Binny further said, "Unhone (Kejriwal) aise vaade kiya, aise jhooth bole, aur Anna ji jaise mahapurush ka bhi unhone upyog kiya."
"I was part of Anna Hazare's movement against corruption. I didn't know that some opportunist people will dupe me and the people of Delhi. They made false promises and used a great man like Anna for their gains," Binny added, as he accepted the BJP scarf presented to him by the party's Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhyay.
"I joined them, thinking that I will serve people. I didn't know that they will fool the honest people of Delhi," he added.
Meanwhile, former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi, who had also joined the BJP recently, claimed that the AAP has a habit of making false accusations.
"They have accused Satish Upadhyay ji. It is their habit to make false accusations, creating false evidences and playing with reputation of people based on that," Ilmi said.
Yesterday, Binny met Satish Upadhyay triggering speculations that he may join the party soon.
Binny became a legislator from Lakshmi Nagar constituency in the 2013 Delhi election, defeating Congress leader Ashok Kumar Walia by around 8,000 votes.
Soon after, he rebelled against the AAP and accused the party of betraying the people of Delhi and straying from its principles following which he was expelled from the party in January 2014.
