Delhi MCD polls 2017: BJP councillor from Govindpuri joins Congress

India वोट Kar | March 29, 2017

Chander Prakash, a sitting BJP councillor from Govindpuri ward in South Delhi, joined the Congress on Tuesday, ahead of the elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Why he switched

Prakash described himself as “essentially” part of the Congress family but did not explain why he had earlier joined the BJP. He said: “I am in agreement with the vision of the Congress,” adding that he wanted to work for poor and marginalised people.

He cited a housing project in his ward. According to Prakash, former Kalkaji MLA Subhash Chopra had pushed for an in-situ complex of 14-storey flats to rehouse about 3,000 families from the JJ clusters. Work began in 2013 and was due to finish within three years, but Prakash said the Aam Aadmi Party had done nothing to complete it.

Second councillor to join this year

Prakash is the second councillor to move to the Congress this year. On February 9, sitting AAP councillor Anil Malik joined the party, saying AAP had not kept its promises. Malik said the party was acting against the people who elected it and that the hopes with which he had joined it two years earlier had been dashed.

See also: more election news

Originally published on 29 March 2017. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.