AAP’s Timarpur MLA says he won’t contest polls, party inducts BJP leader & ex-legislator from seat

A Purvanchali leader and the chief whip in the Delhi Assembly, Pandey had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from North East Delhi on an AAP ticket in 2019. He was also in charge of its Municipal Corporation of Delhi poll campaign.

Pandey said in a post, loosely translated from Hindi, on X: “For me, the satisfaction of being in politics has been that because of our government, the lives of many common people and poor people have become easier, and the prospects of a better life for many children have increased.”

“After fulfilling the responsibility of building an organisation in politics and then contesting elections, now it is time to do something else while staying in @AamAadmiParty. Whoever contests the election in Timarpur assembly, @ArvindKejriwal ji will become the Chief Minister of Delhi, and all of us Delhiites will together ensure this,” he added.

Pandey said he was sure that the relationships he had built both within and outside the party would remain intact. “I am confident that the capital of my relations will remain with me. If any of you contact me, then this confidence will be strengthened further, this is my wish,” he said.

Meanwhile, welcoming Bittu into AAP, Sisodia said, “Inspired by the good developmental work of the AAP in the field of education, health, etc, Singh is joining our party today, and I am sure that his experience will help the party to continue doing good work.”

“I am thankful to (AAP convener Arvind) Kejriwalji, Manish Sisodiaji… If there is a party which understands the common man, then it is AAP. Kejriwalji understands the pain of every man, the suffering of the people – rich or poor. After seeing this, I have decided to join the AAP family and to work with them shoulder to shoulder,” said Bittu, a two-time Congress MLA from Timarpur.

Bittu began his political career in 1998, contesting the Timarpur Assembly seat on a Congress ticket but securing only 5% of the vote. He gained prominence by winning the MCD elections in 2002 and winning the Timarpur seat in the 2003 Delhi polls, again on a Congress ticket. In 2008, he went on to retain the seat.
His popularity waned in subsequent elections. However, in 2019, by when he had joined the BJP, he secured 38% of the vote against AAP’s Dilip Pandey, who won the Timarpur seat.