Poonam Azad, the wife of suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad, joined AAP on Sunday. She officially joined the party at the AAP party office in New Delhi.
The report of Azad’s wife joining AAP had first surfaced in July.
Immediately after she joined the party in the presence Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others senior leaders, AAP said Poonam will play a key role in upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab.
On her part, Poonam said she saw a bright future for youths in AAP and held Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley responsible for her quitting the BJP.
Her husband Kirti Azad had launched a bitter attack on Jaitley over alleged corruption in DDCA during the Minister’s tenure as its head.
Earlier in the Day, Poonam met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Welcoming her to AAP, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said Poonam has been a champion for aam admi’s rights and has been fighting the issues of people.
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said Poonam will play an important role in the upcoming Punjab assembly election.
“Poonam Azad will play an important in the upcoming Punjab polls and after discussions she will be given an important responsibility in the party,” Singh said.
After joining the party, Poonam said, “I see a future, especially for the youth, in AAP. The reason why I quit BJP is because we were mistreated by Arun Jaitley. He did not give us poll tickets despite promising many times.
“Also, my husband, Kirti Azad, was suspended when he raised his voice against corruption. BJP is maintaining a dual stand,” she alleged, adding she does not support the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes as common people are suffering because of it.
Poonam, who had contested against former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit in the 2003 Assembly polls, has faced growing marginalisation in BJP over the last few years.
Azad, who was suspended by the BJP for raising the corruption issue in DDCA targetting Union Finance Minisrer, Arun Jaitley, had then said, “It’s her decision. She is an independent woman and free to make her own choices. I have no right to comment on this since I am a suspended MP. Whatever she decides will be in the best interest of the nation.”
Photo-ANI
She has been a Delhi BJP Spokesperson and was earlier its vice president.
She, according to reports, has been facing growing marginalisation in the saffron party for some years after having earlier being a member of the BJP National Executive thrice.
Her decision is also driven by the suspension of Kirti Azad, who had launched a bitter attack on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged corruption in DDCA during the latter’s tenure as its head and continued with his tirade despite party chief Amit Shah’s intervention.
Azad had also released an explosive CD, which had shown him telling Jaitley how he had ‘forged’ documents.
“Both husband and wife are unsure about their future in BJP,” a source said but ruled out any similar move by Kirti Azad as it will result in his losing Lok Sabha membership.
In December last year, the Information and Broadcasting ministry, then headed by Jaitley, had allegedly removed Poonam’s name from the censor board’s advisory panel.
