AAP CM Candidate for 2022 Uttarakhand Polls Ajay Kothiyal Joins BJP

The former army officer had resigned from Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP last week.

Ajay Kothiyal, who had been the Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial face for the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly elections, resigned from the party on Wednesday, 18 May.

(Photo: PTI)

Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate for the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly polls, Colonel Ajay Kothiyal (retired), on Tuesday, 24 May, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

He had resigned from Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP last week.

The former army officer had announced his decision and posted his resignation letter on Twitter on 22 May.

Kothiyal said in a cryptic letter written to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal,

“I have been a member of the Aam Aadmi Party from April 19, 2021, to May 18, 2022. Keeping the feelings of ex-soldiers, ex para-military personnel, the elders, women, youths and the intellectuals, I am sending you my resignation on 18 May."

2022 Uttarakhand Elections

This comes after AAP saw a dismal defeat in the Uttarakhand polls, following which the party’s state unit was dissolved and Deepak Bali was appointed AAP Uttarakhand president.

Colonel Kothiyal is a decorated officer of the Indian Army, and has been felicitated with gallantry awards, including Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, and Vishisht Seva Medal.

Kothiyal contested the elections on an AAP ticket from the Uttarkashi seat, and lost to BJP candidate Suresh Chauhan.

(With inputs from ANI.)