PANAJI
Former BJP minister Mahadev Naik was welcomed into the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by the party’s National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi on Friday.
Naik, a two-term MLA from the Shiroda constituency, joined the AAP in the presence of Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Kumar Jain, AAP MLA Atishi Marlena and Goa AAP Convenor Rahul Mhambre.
“Welcome Mahadev Naik to AAP family. We will work together to serve the people of Goa and give them a better qualify of life,” stated Kejriwal in his tweet.
The AAP in a tweet stated that Naik “brings in immense experience which will further strengthen AAP’s resolve to Clean Goan Politics!”
Naik was elected as BJP MLA from Shiroda constituency for two consecutive terms from 2007-2017, but lost the 2017 elections to then Congress candidate Subhash Shirodkar, who later joined the BJP.
Speaking to the media, Naik appreciated the AAP for having made a difference in governance in Delhi and was hopeful that the party would initiate the same changes in Goa. Lashing out at the BJP, he said, “BJP promised a Congress Mukt India, but today this Congress Yukt BJP Goa government is a joke. They have promised only 10,000 jobs when lakhs of Goan youth have applied for work. What will happen to the future of Goan youth? It is my firm belief that only the Kejriwal model can give a good future to Goan youth and that is why I have joined AAP,” added Naik
When contacted, AAP Goa convener Rahul Mhambre hailed the entry of Naik into the party.
“We are not only bringing in the former minister into our team, but also bringing in the Bhandari Samaj or Bahujan Samaj leader to our team. This will help us to make our party organisation strong and give more vigour to our party,” said Mhambre.
Mhambre said that many politicians would join the AAP in the near future. “Many leaders are in contact with us and in the next week, many more will join the party,” he added.
