Former West Delhi MP Mahabal Mishra, who was also elected as an MLA in the Delhi assembly thrice while he was in Congress, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s public meeting in Paharganj on Sunday. A senior Congress leader, Mishra was a strong influence in West Delhi, especially in Dwarka. His son, Vinay Mishra, had quit the Congress and joined AAP before the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections and won from the Dwarka constituency, from which his father was an MLA. The Congress had suspended Mishra in early 2020 for anti-party activities for allegedly helping his son during his election campaign. “I welcome Shri Mahabal Mishra, who is popular in Delhi among the Purvanchali community, in Aam Aadmi Party. We will take the country forward and use his experience with the people,” Kejriwal tweeted. दिल्ली में पूर्वांचल समाज के लोकप्रिय नेता श्री महाबल मिश्रा जी का मैं आम आदमी पार्टी परिवार में स्वागत करता हूँ। जनता और समाज के बीच आपके अनुभव के साथ हम सब मिलकर देश को आगे बढ़ाएँगे। pic.twitter.com/hHCiH1fz3l — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 20, 2022 Taking to Twitter, Mishra said: “I am moved by the messages of welcome pouring in from all over the country. My salutations and thanks to every worker of Aam Aadmi Party. I promise Arvind Kejriwal ji that by becoming a soldier of the Aam Aadmi Party, I will strengthen the party across the country.” While Mishra has not been a very active member of the Congress for a few years now, especially after this son joined AAP, his move to AAP could mean a significant boost in the party’s popularity among the Purvanchali population in MCD wards in East Delhi. Tweeting about his father’s switch to the AAP, Vinay Mishra said: “Papa got very angry when I joined AAP and I had told him that this is the people’s party, they have a vision. One day you will have to join as well. And father joined AAP in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal ji and Manish Sisodia ji. Welcome, father. All I have learnt has been from him. I have learnt to fight for the rights of people and will continue learning. We have worked for people and will do so with twice the speed now. AAP is a family where learning from our parents and working is our main responsibility.” Delhi votes for a new MCD regime on December 4. Results will be declared on December 7. BJP has been in power in MCD for three consecutive terms. The influence of the Congress, too, has dwindled considerably over the years, with the party failing to win a single seat in the Delhi Assembly in 2015 and 2020 polls. Its performance in the 2017 MCD polls was better with a 20% vote share, but it was still in third place behind BJP and AAP.
