In a major setback to the Congress in Delhi, a prominent leader of the grand old party, Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed, joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday.
Ahmed, a five-time MLA, was inducted into the AAP fold by the party’s national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the national capital.
Welcoming Ahmed into the party, Kejriwal said that he has been serving the people by living among them in the areas across Yamuna and is known for his qualities as a leader who works for the people, much like the AAP.
During Ahmed’s induction, Kejriwal also praised him as a prominent figure in Delhi’s politics, adding that he is now with the right party.
He said that the leader and his entire family are well-known among the people of their area, much like the AAP, for their work in serving the public.
The party expressed that it has grown stronger with this development ahead of the elections, which comes as a shock to the Congress.
AAP leaders Durgesh Pathak, Imran Hussain, and others were present on the occasion when Ahmed was welcomed into the party fold by the national convener.
Ahmed, a former MLA from Seelampur, was first elected to the Delhi assembly in 1993.
He was re-elected in 2003 and 2008 on a Congress ticket and remains quite popular among the inhabitants of the Seelampur area.
On the other hand, the AAP received a setback on Sunday, as West Delhi politician Harsharan Singh Balli, a former MLA, joined the BJP along with his son. A four-time legislator from Harinagar, Balli has also served as a minister.