Congress, BJP leaders join AAP ranks

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 16

Son of former Congress MLA from Una Rajeev Gautam and district president, BJP ST Morcha from Kangra district, Pankaj Panku today joined AAP along with their supporters in the presence of state in-charge of the party Durgesh Pathak here today.

Rajeev Gautam is the son of the late former Congress MLA from Una Varinder Gautam. Varinder was a staunch loyalist of former CM Virbhadra Singh. Rajeev had contested as an independent in the last Assembly elections from Una.

Former una MLA’s son switches sides

• Rajeev Gautam is the son of the late former Congress MLA from Una Varinder Gautam
• Pankaj Panku of the BJP is Gaggal Zila Parishad member
• Roop Rekha, another Zila Parishad member from Sulah

Pankaj Panku was also a Zila Parishad member from Bhadiara near Gaggal. Roop Rekha, another Zila Parishad member from Sulah, also joined AAP in Palampur. Rekha was associated with the Congress.

Pathak, addressing a press conference, said a large number of BJP and Congress workers were joining AAP. More might join the party.

Pathak said the impact of AAP could already be seen as the state government had been forced to announce free electricity and power in the state. It was the AAP government in Delhi that had, for the first time, felt that power and water were the basic necessities and should be provided to people at affordable rates. It was also strange that the BJP government had decided to provide half-hearted concessions to the common man at the fag end of their stint, he said.

Pathak said in Punjab, the AAP government had decided that former MLAs would get just one pension. The Himachal Government should also follow the Punjab model, he said.

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