New Delhi: The recent coup in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) unit of Himachal Pradesh in which the BJP has allegedly managed to poach some of the key AAP leaders have undoubtedly changed the face of the coming assembly elections.
Among those responsible, Union Minister Anurag Thakur is said to be instrumental and played an active role in what can be dubbed as a right hit to diminish AAP`s poll prospects in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election.
As per sources, he has been actively facilitating the exodus of leaders in the opposition parties.
Last Friday`s midnight coup delivered a big jolt to AAP`s ambitious plan to expand itself in Himachal Pradesh by inducting its top state leadership in presence of BJP Chief JP Nadda.
Who all joined left AAP to join the BJP
On April 8 midnight Himachal Pradesh AAP President Anup Kesari joined the BJP in presence of Nadda and Thakur with several other leaders. The head of the party’s women wing in the state, Mamata Thakur also quit the party.
State President of AAP industry wing, D.K. Tyagi and State Vice President of Social Media, Aashish Kumar also quit Arvind Kejriwal’s party and joined the BJP
The mass resignation came a day before Delhi and Punjab Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Maan respectively launched the AAP campaign in Himachal Pradesh by organising a `Tiranga Yatra` in Mandi.
Anurag Thakur’s role in the AAP coup
To everyone`s surprise, on Friday evening the Union Minister was playing a friendly cricket match at Arun Jaitley stadium in the national capital.
As the match ended he left the stadium before the prize distribution ceremony to ensure the induction of Himachal Pradesh AAP President into the BJP before the start of a four-day visit of the BJP Chief to the state, sources said.
A party insider said before the start of the match Thakur had placed everything in place and with the guidance of Nadda, ensured that it happened on the same day.
On Monday, when the BJP Chief was in Himachal Pradesh, the Union Minister staged another coup by ensuring the Himachal Pradesh AAP Women Wing Head, Mamata Thakur and other leaders joined the BJP in New Delhi.
Himachal Pradesh is the native state of both Nadda and Thakur.
Another BJP functionary said Thakur has used the resentment in the AAP cadre to stage the coup and it also shows his political maturity.
(With agency inputs)
