Former AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar joins Congress after quitting party

Former Aam Aadmi Party national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar has quit the party and joined the Congress, saying she could no longer defend what she described as indefensible decisions within the AAP. Ms. Kakkar joined the Congress in the presence of senior leaders including Rajiv Shukla, Pawan Khera and Delhi unit chief Devendra Yadav.

Former Uttar Pradesh MLA Shyam Sunder Sharma and Rajat Rakesh Tandon also joined the party at the event in New Delhi. Congress general secretary Naseer Hussain welcomed the new members. He described Ms.

Kakkar as a former chief national spokesperson of the AAP and Mr. Sharma as a former Uttar Pradesh MLA and minister. Mr.

Hussain also said Mr. Sharma had been an eight-time MLA. Mr.

Shukla said the new entrants could have a significant impact on politics in Uttar Pradesh and across the country. Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are due next year, according to the report. Ms.

Kakkar said she believed the Congress was the only party capable of making Delhi progressive and safe. She praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, describing him as authentic and resilient, and said she had found in the Congress a commitment that she felt was absent elsewhere. Explaining her departure, she referred to a change from the AAP’s earlier opposition to leaders accepting official cars or bungalows.

She alleged that private helicopter travel and senior appointments for people without booth-level experience had later become accepted within the party. She said these developments left her unable to defend the AAP. Ms.

Kakkar also backed Mr. Gandhi’s campaign concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, repeating his allegation that voting rights were being undermined. No response from the AAP to her comments is included in the source material.