New Delhi: Hours before Surendra Pal Singh Bittu, a two-time MLA from Timarpur constituency and BJP functionary, joined AAP, incumbent MLA Dilip Pandey hinted that he might be denied a ticket in the coming assembly polls.
The senior AAP leader and the party's chief whip in the Vidhan Sabha on Friday said it was time for him "to do something else while staying in AAP".
In a post on X, the Timarpur MLA said whoever contests the election from the constituency, only Arvind Kejriwal will become Delhi's chief minister, and people will ensure that.
"For me, the satisfaction of being in politics was that because of our govt, the lives of many common people and poor people became easier, and the prospect of a better life for many children increased," Pandey wrote.
Pandey, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from North East Delhi on an AAP ticket in 2019, said: "After fulfilling the responsibility of building an organisation in politics and then contesting elections, now it is time to do something else," he wrote.
A former software engineer based in Singapore, Pandey came back to India to join the anti-corruption movement and later became one of the prominent leaders of AAP after Kejriwal formed the party. Within a few hours of his tweet, Surendra Pal Singh Bittu joined AAP.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia welcomed Singh into the party and said his experience will help the party in its development work.
"I thank Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia for welcoming me into Aam Aadmi Party. Among all parties, AAP truly understands the struggles and needs of the common man, from the smallest issues to the biggest challenges," he said. "It was my desire to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him (Kejriwal) and contribute to the cause of improving people's lives. I am committed to working alongside this party to bring positive change and ensure the welfare of people," he added.
Sources said Bittu, who has been with BJP and Congress earlier, is likely to get a ticket from Timarpur. He said that his joining was the reason behind Pandey's emotional post on X. In the 2020 assembly polls, Pandey defeated Bittu, who was contesting on a BJP ticket, by 24,000 votes.
Senior functionary Manish Sisodia said Surender Pal Singh Bittu has chosen to be a part of the AAP family because it is the only party that genuinely works for the common man and for the betterment of Delhiites. "Having served as an MLA twice and as a councillor, his political experience will undoubtedly benefit both the party and the people of Delhi. Together, we are confident we can continue to work for the welfare of Delhi's citizens," the senior AAP leader added.