AAP councillor returns to party after 'dream' message from Arvind Kejriwal, days after joining BJP

Ram Chander, the councillor from Shahbad Dairy, rejoined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday, just four days after defecting to the BJP, reported TOI. His return comes ahead of the MCD ward committee elections, which are scheduled for September 4.

Municipal Secretary Shiva Prasad announced the elections for the 12 ward committees. Chander, who had joined the BJP on August 25 along with four other AAP councillors, expressed regret in a statement, saying, "Joining the BJP was my biggest mistake... I will remain with the Aam Aadmi Party for life."

AAP claimed that Chander had been misled by the BJP into switching parties but suffered a significant setback with his return, said TOI.


In a post on 'X', Manish Sisodia welcomed Chander back, saying: "I met an old AAP colleague and former Bawana Vidhan Sabha MLA Ramchandra. Today he has returned to his Aam Aadmi family."

"I am a small soldier of the Aam Aadmi Party. I made a wrong decision, but I have returned to my family. Last night, our Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal) appeared in my dream and instructed me to reconnect with Manish (Sisodia), Gopal Rai, Sandeep (Pathak), and all the leaders. He told me to meet my workers and continue working," Chander explained his decision, according to the TOI report.

"He came on his own and left on his own. AAP's decision to reinduct him reflects their desperation," BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor responded.

In the December 2022 elections, AAP won 134 out of 250 MCD wards. Both AAP and BJP leaders are reportedly engaging with each other's councillors in an effort to sway them ahead of the standing committee elections.