AAP MLA Devinder Sehrawat joins BJP; asked to seek re-election

Accusing the AAP of ignoring and insulting him, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Devinder Singh Sehrawat joined the BJP on Monday, becoming the second legislator from the ruling party in Delhi to jump into the saffron fold in less than a week.

AAP's Gandhi Nagar MLA Anil Bajpai quit the party and joined the BJP on Friday.

Sehrawat, a legislator from Bijwasan, joined the saffron party at a press conference in the presence of senior Delhi BJP leaders Vijay Goel and Vijendra Gupta.

Reacting to the development, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said his party will not allow any defector to remain MLA and it is ready with disqualification petitions.

"Defectors are day dreaming about continuing their MLA office & they should be ready to face the electorate," he said. Sehrawat should seek re-election, Bharadwaj said, "but shameless characters might want to continue".

Earlier at the press conference, Sehrawat accused AAP of ignoring and cornering him. He said he was not even invited to party functions.

"The party insulted me, but I took it in my stride and continued working for the development of my area," the retired colonel said.

"My people said 'we have elected you to work for us' and supported my decision to quit the AAP. I have joined the BJP considering the respect India got under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

Goel said the BJP was interested in inducting Sehrawat into the party even before he had joined the AAP.

"The party (AAP) would ignore Sehrawat and not even invite him to events in the area. When he felt he's being insulted, the legislator decided to join the BJP," Goel said.

Kejriwal tried putting pressure on Sehrawat when he got to know of his decision to leave the "sinking ship", he alleged.

The BJP has kept its door open for all those who are feeling insulted in the AAP, the Union minister said.

BJP leader Vijendra Gupta said, "Kejriwal tried to conspire against Sehrawat, sidelined him...He is being made to pay for opposing the party's decision to oust Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhusan."
Rejecting the charge, Goel said, "It is wrong on his (Kejriwal's) part to allege that his party MLAs are being bought by the BJP."