AAP's former Delhi legislator joins BJP

Ashok Kumar Chauhan, the former Aam Aadmi Party legislator from Delhi's Ambedkar Nagar constituency, Saturday joined the BJP. He said he was "feeling suffocated" in the AAP and decided to leave.

Elected on an AAP ticket in the December 2013 assembly polls, Chauhan had defeated Congress heavyweight Chaudhary Prem Singh -- a four-time legislator from Ambedkar Nagar -- by 16,486 votes.

"I was feeling suffocated in the party and therefore decided to leave. I think the Bharatiya Janata Party will better utilise my talents as the AAP has lost focus," Chauhan said.

"I want to work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he added.

Chauhan, who belongs to the Dalit community, said AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal "cheated" and "betrayed" the Valmiki community and never fulfilled pre-poll promises.

"The Valmiki community connected with the AAP with great expectations but they are today feeling cheated and betrayed. Party workers from the Dalit community are disappointed with the leadership. The AAP has not given due recognition to the Valmiki community," he said.

The AAP was reportedly miffed with Chauhan who along with two other party leaders had gone to Goa to meet BJP leaders in September.

Along with Chauhan, former secretary of the Congress' state unit, Rahul Rajpal too joined the BJP.

The development comes just days after AAP leaders Ashwini Upadhyay and M.S. Dhir joined the BJP.

BJP's national vice president and Delhi in-charge Prabhat Jha said: "Last year, people from many communities of Delhi had supported and voted for the AAP with great hopes and expectations, but the party played politics of selfishness."