Vindicating the news about AAP’s chief ministerial face joining BJP, colonel retired Ajay Kothiyal has in the evening joined the saffron party in a function at BJP state headquarter in Dehradun in the presence of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, state chief Madan Kaushik and several state office bearers. He joined BJP along with the former working president of AAP Bhupesh Upadhyay. After quitting the Aam Admi Party on 18 th May speculations were being raised about his joining the saffron party. Having served the India Army for twenty six years Colonel Kothiyal had joined the Garhwal Rifles 4 th Battalion as 2nd Lieutenant. He belongs to Chopa village of Teri Garhwal, Narendra Nagar block and had fought the Kargil war bravely.
Being a retired colonel of Indian Army having worked hard with his subordinates during the 2013 Kedarnath disaster while in service evacuating the deluge victims during this dreaded ecological disaster and thereafter contributing in the renovation n rehabilitation works in Kedarnath, Colonel Ajay Kothiyal is quite popular and adorable among people and army ranks in Uttarakhand.
Hearing his heroic deeds during and after the ecological catastrophe of Uttarakhand, he was approached by the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and declared the CM face but the move boomeranged for the reasons best know to the party that could not bring a single seat in Uttarakhand.
After losing badly, getting 3.41% votes in Uttarakhand, including his own Gangotri seat, dejected Colonel Ajay Kothiyal had resigned from the primary membership of AAP along with its working president Bhupesh Upadhyay a few days ago. Today he is joining the BJP at 4.00 in the evening at Delhi BJP headquarter with CM Pushkar Singh Dhami also reaching the national capital to welcome him. He is the recipient of Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra and Vishisht Sewa Medal having fought the Kargil war bravely.
After the recently held assembly elections in which AAP lost badly not even getting a single seat with Colonel Kothiyal, UK’s CM face himself losing his security deposit, the morale of AAP leaders and workers went down and the high command dissolved all his units installing its new state chief Ashok Bali. It is believed that Colonel Kothiyal was neither taken into confidence nor discussed before appointing the new party chief. This resulted in Colonel Kothiyal and the working president Bhupesh Upadhyay resigning in a huff from the party’s primary membership saying that in view of the wishes of youths, women and intellectuals he is tendering his resignation from the party forthwith.
Kindly recall that the Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami is contesting from Champawat after having lost from his earlier seat and Colonel Kothiyal’s joining BJP on his initiative may help him tremendously. Colonel Kothiyal will now campaign for him in Champawat assembly seat to entice voters in CM’s favour especially the ex servicemen and ex paramilitary electorates n their families.
Meanwhile, the national convenor of AAP and Delhi CM has in a diplomatic tweet wrote in hindi : Extremely good wishes to the people of Uttarakhand n Kothiyalji for giving an honest alternative to Uttarakhand.
Height of degradation