Mankotia, Kundal, Tony among many join AAP
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 8: In a major boost to the Aam Aadmi Party to strengthen its base in Jammu and Kashmir, two former Legislators from J&K National Panthers Party, former senior bureaucrat BA Runyal from district Ramban, besides about 50 DDC/BDC members and scores of Sarpanches today joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in New Delhi.
Reports said two times MLA of Panthers Party from Udhampur-Balwant Singh Mankotia and former NPP MLA from Samba Yashpal Kundal (former MoS) and sitting DDC member from Suchetgarh Taranjit Singh Tony; Gambhir Dev Singh Charak, Youth wing president of Dogra Saddar Sabha; senior Congress leader and renowned social activist Surinder Singh Shingari from Jammu West, sitting DDC Member from Mahore – Master Mohd Ismail, Bilal Ahmed Dev- sitting DDC member from Vessu Qazigund , BA Runiyal retired Commissioner/ Secretary in J&K Govt hailing from Banihal in district Ramban, Dr Bhupinder Singh- former IDA secretary and leading social activist, Peer Shahbaz sitting DDC member from Dooru Verinag and Avtar Singh sitting DDC member from Tral, joined AAP at party headquarters ITO, in New Delhi this afternoon.
Delhi Dy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, Cabinet Ministers, Gopal Rai and Imran Hussain, two Delhi MLAs – Nitin Tyagi and Vinay Mishra besides J&K Inchrage of Aam Aadmi Party, Durgesh Pathak were present during the joining ceremony at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Sisodia, Gopal Rai and other AAP leaders welcomed Mankotia, Kundal, Shingari, Taranjit Singh, G S Charak and others in the party fold. They hoped that with their joining, the party will be strengthened in Jammu and Kashmir.
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While speaking on the occasion, Delhi Dy Chief Minister said that a new history of development and progress will be re-written by AAP in the coming years. Sisodia said his party had numerous plans of development for various parts of the country. He said new schemes for the development of Jammu and Kashmir will be announced by the party which will be revolutionary.
Delhi Minister, Gopal Rai while welcoming the political activists and DDC/BDC members from J&K into the party fold said that with their joining new ripple has resonated through out the country since the formation of AAP Government in Punjab, after the progress and development it registered in Delhi. People are constantly joining and becoming the part of this movement. The joining by a large number of people from J&K indicates that people want change in the UT of J&K. AAP will provide them a viable and strong alternative in coming days. He said AAP has worked on good education, uninterrupted water and power supply and employment issues in Delhi and will continue to strive for the same in others parts of the country.
The others who joined AAP from Jammu and Kashmir in Delhi today included, senior NC leader from Provincial body Jammu, Subhash Chander Sharma, Vijay Singh Chib, president All J&K Transport Union, Parvinder Singh Happy, noted social worker, DDC member Shazia Kouser, retired PDD Executive Engineer, Rattan Lal from Akhnoor, about 50 DCC/BCC members besides nearly 200 Sarpanches and Panches from Jammu and Kashmir.
The joining of these leaders is being seen as a shot in the arm of AAP with the party working with an increased focus to expand its base in Jammu and Kashmir, with an aim on the Assembly elections expected to be held in the Union Territory after the completion of ongoing delimitation exercise.
It is pertinent to mention here that Excelsior had exclusively, reported last week that some prominent NPP leaders and several DDC members will join AAP shortly.
Party sources said that several former Ministers and Legislators from different political parties in J&K were in touch with the senior AAP leaders and they are likely to join party in next few weeks. Sources further added that Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo, Kejriwal is likely to visit Jammu soon.
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