A day after eight Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs resigned from the party, they joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This comes just four days before the Delhi Assembly election. 

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All eight MLAs quit from the primary membership of AAP on Friday, citing reasons like alleged corruption and having lost faith in the party's national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, and the party.

All eight legislators had been denied poll tickets by AAP this time. 

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Who are the MLAs?

The eight MLAs are Vandana Gaur (Palam), Rohit Mehraulia (Trilokpuri), Girish Soni (Madipur), Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar), Rajesh Rishi (Uttam Nagar), BS Joon (Bijwasan), Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli) and Pawan Sharma (Adarsh Nagar).

As soon as they resigned, they also said that they had sent their resignation letters to the Assembly Speaker. 

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Also read: Delhi Elections 2025: Arvind Kejriwal urges BJP supporters to vote for AAP even as 8 of his party MLAs resign

The legislators joined the BJP in the presence of the party's national vice-president Baijayant Panda, and the Delhi unit chief, Virendraa Sachdeva. 

Panda welcomed the new members, calling it a "historic day", saying that they had freed themselves from "AAPda" (disaster). 

Panda added that after the February 5 elections, Delhi too would be rid of AAP. 

Also read: 'Lost faith in Kejriwal': 7 MLAs quit AAP just five days before Delhi election

Yesterday, Palam MLA Bhawna Gaur, in a letter to the AAP national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, said that she was quitting because she lost faith in him and the party. 

"I hereby resign from the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party as I have lost faith in you and the party. Please accept the same," Bhawna Gaur and Madan Lal wrote in two separate letters.

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AAP is seeking a third consecutive five-year term in Delhi and faces a stiff challenge from the BJP this time. The Congress is the third major party in the contention. 

(With inputs from agencies)