'This is my homecoming': Ex-AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani joins BJP in Gujarat
Bhupendra Bhayani represented the Visavadar seat in Junagadh as an AAP MLA before resigning from both the post and the party in December last year.
Gujarat News: Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Bhupendra Bhayani joined the BJP on Saturday, months after he resigned as member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. An official press release from the BJP's Gujarat unit said that Bhayani and his supporters joined the ruling party in the presence of state BJP president CR Paatil at a meeting at Bhesan village in Junagadh district.
After joining the BJP, Bhayani told reporters that it was his 'homecoming' as he had been a member of the saffron party before becoming an MLA.
“This is my homecoming because I was with the BJP before I was elected as an MLA. Our country is making progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am joining the BJP to develop my constituency, not to get a postal or ballot paper,” said Bhayani.
Bhayani expressed confidence that irrespective of the candidate the BJP chooses for the by-elections, the people of Visavadar will make the saffron party victorious by a huge margin.
Who is Bhupender Bhayani?
Bhupendra Bhayani represented the Visavadar seat in Junagadh as an AAP MLA before resigning from both the post and the party in December last year. After his resignation, Bhayani had announced his intention to join the saffron brigade.
He was among the five AAP candidates who were elected as MLAs in the 2022 state Assembly polls despite the BJP registering a resounding victory by capturing 156 seats in the 182-member Assembly. It was the first time that the AAP won seats in the Assembly elections in Gujarat.
At the time, Bhayani, who served as sarpanch of Bhesan village before joining the AAP ahead of the state elections, had alleged that the AAP was not the right platform to serve people and that nationalists like him could not stay with the party for long.
NC leader joins BJP in Jammu
Meanwhile, Haji Mohammed Hussain, senior National Conference (NC) leader and former member of the Legislative Council, also joined the BJP in Jammu. Hussain, a prominent figure among the Gujjar community, was welcomed at the saffron bash by BJP state general secretary (organization) Ashok Koul and senior leader Devender Rana, a party spokesperson said.
Koul expressed happiness over the entry of Hussain and his supporters and said the Gujjar community had been exploited by the non-BJP governments for vote bank politics and had done virtually nothing for their welfare and well-being.
“With every passing day, senior leaders of other parties are shifting their allegiance towards the BJP and vowing to ensure the return of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the third consecutive term,” he said.
Rana said Hussain's entry would further strengthen the party's position in the Gujjar community.
“Gujjars have developed confidence in PM Modi's leadership as they are convinced of the government's plans and programmes. The Gujjars are well aware of the fact that the Modi government has been working at a rapid pace to develop their community in the real sense of the word,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)