The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday (August 25) faced a setback as five of its Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) councillors joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). 

Unlike Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), municipal councillors are not bound by the anti-defection law. Consequently, the five councillors who have switched parties will retain their positions as elected representatives.

The AAP councillors who switched allegiance to the BJP are Ramchandra from Ward 28, Pawan Sehrawat from Ward 30, Mamata Pawan from Ward 177, Sugandha Bidhuri from Ward 178, and Manju Nirmal from Ward 180, according to a statement released from the Delhi BJP.

The move was announced at a press conference at the Delhi BJP office, where the new members were officially welcomed by Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and other senior party leaders.

During the press conference, Sachdeva alleged that the defectors had been pressured by the AAP to participate in corrupt activities and organize crowds for party leaders.

One of the councillors, Manju Nirmal said, "I have decided to join the BJP due to the evident shortcomings of the Aam Aadmi Party in tackling Delhi's key challenges. The BJP’s vision for development and its proven record of governance under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership offer a promising future."

Criticizing the AAP government for allegedly delaying development projects in Delhi, another councillor Pawan Sehrawat said, "My decision to join the BJP stems from a deep sense of disappointment with the current administration's failure to address the pressing issues in our city."

During the event, BJP leaders MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Yogendra Chandolia, and former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely, who is now with the BJP, expressed confidence in the new members' contributions to the party’s objectives. MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri emphasized the importance of maintaining party discipline and encouraged the newly joined councillors to focus on development in their respective wards.

The defection comes in the wake of a recent trend of AAP members joining the BJP in Delhi. In July, several prominent figures from the AAP, including MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar and former Delhi Minister Raj Kumar Anand, along with other leaders, had also switched to the BJP.

Earlier this week, the MCD mayor issued a directive to the municipal secretary to initiate the election process for the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the wards committee. Additionally, the election process will include selecting one member from each of the 12 zones of the MCD to serve on the standing committee.

In the 2022 MCD elections, the AAP secured 134 out of 250 wards. Following the recent defection of some councillors, the party now has 127 councillors. The BJP, on the other hand, has gained additional strength from these defections and now holds 112 councillors in the MCD.

This move is expected to enhance the BJP's chances of securing a majority on the MCD's standing committee.

In response, the AAP has issued a statement asserting that the people of Delhi will deliver a decisive and strong rebuke to the BJP.