Former J&K minister Harsh Dev Singh, four other NPP functionaries join AAP

In what was seen as a boost to the Arvind Kejriwal led party's expansion plan in Jammu and Kashmir, former State Education Minister and National Panthers Party chairman Harshdev Singh joined the AAP here on Saturday. Along with him, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party's state president Rajesh Pargotra, State Secretaries Gagan Pratap and Purshottam as well as it's Delhi unit chief Suresh Dogra also joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of the its Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh and senior leaders Imran Husain and Durgesh Pathak.

"This is the beginning of a new chapter in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir," AAP Rajya Sabha MP told a joint press conference here at party headquarters while welcoming Singh and other newly inducted members. They have joined the AAP as they were impressed by AAP national convenor Arvidn Kejriwal's policies and the "exemplary work" that has been done in the national capital in education, healthcare and other sectors under the leadership of the Delhi Chief Minister, the senior AAP leader said.



"The work that the Aam Aadmi Party has done is being discussed in the education, healthcare sectors and the role that the Srvind Kejriwal's team has played in the providing water and electricity is being discussed and appreciated all over the country," former Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Singh said "Same revolution needs to happen in Jammu and Kashmir as well. People in Jammu and Kashmir should also get the basic facilities that they are deprived of, corruption should end," he said.' The kind of good governance that was only read about in the books has been given to the people of Delhi and now in Punjab by the AAP under the leadership of Kejriwal, he said. "Problems of the people of Jammu and Kashmir can be solved only when a good government is formed there, corruption is ended and democracy is established in its real sense as the AAP has done in Delhi," Singh added.

Joining of Singh, three-term MLA and a political heavyweight from Jammu, and four others from the Panthers Party was seen as a major boost to the Arvind Kejriwal-led party's expansion plan in Jammu and Kashmir. Last month, former Jammu and Kashmir minister Yash Paul Kundal, ex-legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia, DDC member Taranjit Singh Tony and former Congress leader Surinder Singh Shingari had joined the AAP.

Along with them, more than hundred local leaders including village heads, block development council (BDC) members and district development council (DDC) members had also joined the ranks of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. Riding high on its stupendous victory in Punjab, the AAP is working with an increased focus on strengthening its base in Jammu and Kashmir, with eye on the assembly polls in the Union Territory.