Parvez Sultan By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A few weeks before the assembly elections in the national capital, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Lok Sabha candidate from North-west Delhi Gugan Singh on Monday returned to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his supporters in the presence of Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and union minister and in-charge of the city unit for the polls Prakash Javadekar.

The development is a major setback to AAP. Singh was elected as MLA from Bawana seat, one of the 12 reserved seats for Scheduled Castes in 2013 as BJP candidate. He is a prominent Dalit face of the saffron party in the outer Delhi areas.

He stood second in 2015 polls, losing to AAP legislator Ved Parkash — a former BJP leader, who jumped ship ahead of the assembly polls.

In 2017, Singh joined AAP just before Bawana bypoll and defeated Prakash.

"No one stays happy and comfortable in other's house, I had to tolerate for two-and-a-half years in AAP. No leader gets due respect in AAP," Singh said after joining BJP.

Singh, who contested on AAP ticket from the northwest seat, lost to Punjabi Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans in the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year.

Welcoming Singh, Javadekar said BJP is a party with a difference as no leader is discriminated here.

"AAP has been exposed. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was considered revolutionary however it has been proved, they don't practice what they preach,"he said