Prominent politicians joined Aam Aadmi Party today in the presence of AAP MLA and national spokesperson Raghav Chadha. Former Congress leader and MLA Anjali Rai, and another Congress leader Ravinder Singh Nirwal joined AAP along with many other volunteers and leaders.
Welcoming the new members with the party cap and stole, Raghav Chadha said that the Aam Aadmi Party is grateful to these two leading change-makers who have decided to come on board with us. He also said that AAP will positively benefit from their years of experience and the work they have done.
Raghav Chadha, in a press conference today, said, “Two leading personalities of the Delhi political circle, of the Congress party, who made the party what it once was in Delhi have today, after being inspired with the work of Shri Arvind Kejriwal and his government, joined Aam Aadmi Party. The Aam Aadmi Party is grateful to these two leading change-makers who have decided to come on board with us. I am sure, we as a party will positively benefit from their years of experience and the work they have done.”
Anjali Rai has been a Congress MLA for two consecutive terms from 1998 to 2008. Apart from this, from 2000-2004 she was the Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, from 2004-06 she was the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, from 2012-15 she was the Chairperson of the Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India. She has also held various positions of importance in the Delhi government. She was the Director of the transport department, Director of the tourist department, Chief Whip of her party in the Delhi legislative assembly. She was also the Convenor of the Delhi District Development Committee for 10 years.
Ravinder Singh Nirwal was the Chairman of the Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Samiti, Vice-President of Congress Committee at a district level, Vice-Chairman of DPCC in the SC department. Additionally, he has been an important figure in the working of the employees’ unions as Joint Secretary, Vice-President and President.
Commenting on her decision to join the Aam Aadmi Party, Anjali Rai said, “I belong to a family of freedom fighters. My grandfather and my father were both freedom fighters. My first election was against Shri Madan Lal Khurana who was the then Chief Ministerial Candidate and though I was hesitant when the party asked me to compete, my father encouraged me and said that this was an opportunity to serve the people. Though I lost that election, I went on to become the MLA from the Paharganj constituency for 10 continuous years.
Ravinder Singh Nirwal, commenting on his decision to join the Aam Aadmi Party, said, “If at the grassroot level someone is ruling the hearts of people today, it is Shri Arvind Kejriwal. If the problems and worries of the people have been eliminated by someone, it is the Aam Aadmi Party. No one has implemented policies at the grassroot level like the Aam Aadmi Party has. It is by all of this that I have been inspired. I would like to thank Shri Raghav Chadha, the workers of the Aam Aadmi Party, the people of Delhi who have such immense faith in the party, faith that will continue to increase because of the good work of the party. BJP had challenged that electricity rates cannot be lowered, yet the Aam Aadmi Party has been able to give electricity to the people of Delhi, free of cost. What the Aam Aadmi Party and Shri Arvind Kejriwal say, they also fulfill. They have given free water, free electricity, free bus travel for women and though people are creating obstacles in their path, they cannot be stopped because they have the support of the people. It is a party of the ‘Aam Aadmi’ and no one can stop a party with such popular backing. I will fulfill any task that is assigned to me by the party and will do it with utmost sincerity and from the heart.”