AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar from Sultanpur Majra disqualified for supporting BSP in Lok Sabha polls

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel has disqualified AAP MLA from Sultanpur Majra Sandeep Kumar for supporting the BSP in the Lok Sabha elections 2019. Earlier, disqualified Aam Aadmi Party legislator Kapil Mishra, who has been a vocal critic of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and party women's wing chief Richa Pandey joined the BJP.

Mishra and Pandey joined the saffron party at its office in the presence of vice-president Shyam Jaju, Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari, leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta and former Union minister Vijay Goel.

Earlier this month, Goel had disqualified Mishra under the anti-defection law after he campaigned for the BJP during the Lok Sabha election. Mishra, who was elected from Karawal Nagar, has challenged his disqualification in the high court. Pandey, who headed the AAP's women's wing and was a spokesperson, said the AAP born out of search of "alternative politics".

In July, Sandeep Kumar filed a petition in the Delhi Assembly contending that the videos presented in the house by party spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj while seeking his disqualification have "no authenticity".

Bhardwaj, however, said there was sufficient proof for Kumar's disqualification from the Assembly. The Delhi Assembly had on July 2 asked rebel AAP legislators, Sandeep Kumar and Kapil Mishra, to reply by July 9 to disqualification petitions filed against them by Greater Kailash MLA and AAP spokesperson Bharadwaj for their alleged association with the BSP and the BJP.

Kumar told PTI that the videos, purportedly showing his association with the BSP has no "authenticity and are in violation of the IT Act". The rebel AAP MLA further alleged that Bhardwaj was jealous of him for his ministerial position and accused the AAP spokesperson of frequently commenting about his caste.

Kumar was the minister of SC/ST Welfare and Women and Child Welfare in the AAP government. Responding to the allegations, Bhardwaj said that he has submitted videos where Kumar has admitted to media persons that he is a member of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).