Uphill task for AAP in Himachal as state party president Anup Kesari joins BJP

Despite Congress leaders in Himachal joining the Aam Aadmi Party, the party has to fight an uphill battle in the Himachal elections. Meanwhile, a few AAP leaders, including Himachal state party president Anup Kesari, who joined the BJP, have slammed Arvind Kejriwal.

Himachal's Aam Admi Party (AAP) chief Anup Kesari, General Secretary Satish Thakur and Una district chief, Iqbal Singh, slammed Arvind Kejriwal while joining BJP in Delhi.

Anup Kesari is an advocate by profession and belongs to Una. He joined AAP in 2013- 14 and was made the party president in December 2020.

The joining of prominent Himachal AAP leaders shows the BJP's aggressive posturing in the wake of the 2022 Assembly Elections. AAP's roadshow in Mandi is being viewed as a desperate bid to enter the BJP's heartland and CM Jai Ram Thakur's pocket borough.

AAP was also successful in poaching two prominent and young Congress leaders from CM's constituency.

The BJP's show of strength in Shimla took place on Saturday, where the party's national chief, Jagat Prakash Nadda, took part in a road show. It is being viewed as part of the party's strategy to counter AAP. The BJP and Congress leadership have already downplayed the AAP impact in this hill state.

Desperate to return to power, the Congress leadership in Himachal has also been confirmed to pull its socks after the AAP started poaching its leaders. A former youth Congress chief Manish Thakur has already joined the party. Two Mandi Congress leaders joined the party on Wednesday.

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