By PTI
AHMEDABAD: In another blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat, one more corporator of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party from Surat city joined the ruling BJP on Monday claiming that she had to face “harassment and insult”.
Kundanben Kothiya, the corporator from ward no.4 of the Surat Municipal Corporation, became the sixth AAP corporator from Surat to join the ruling fold over the last two weeks.
She joined the BJP a day after she was suspended from AAP’s primary membership for “indiscipline”.
Kothiya joined the BJP at the party’s headquarters in Gandhinagar in the presence of Gujarat BJP general secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela.
“Despite being a committed party worker and a hardworking corporator, baseless allegations were levelled against me and I was even suspended from AAP. I was falsely accused of circulating an audio clip. AAP leadership did nothing when I complained to them about harassment by another AAP corporator. Instead of justice, I received insults in the party,” alleged Kothiya.
Surat AAP president Mahendra Navadiya had on Sunday suspended Kothiya from the party’s primary membership citing some past incidents.
On February 4, five corporators of AAP from Surat had crossed over to BJP alleging ill-treatment and discrimination in their parent party.
Recording its first major win in Gujarat civic polls, 27 candidates of AAP were elected to the SMC in February last year.
While the BJP retained power in the civic body by winning 93 seats, the AAP had become the only opposition party after it won 27 seats.
