Former Delhi minister and AAP MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam joined the Congress here on Friday.
He joined the party at the AICC headquarters in the presence of general secretary KC Venugopal, party's Delhi chief Devender Yadav and Congress' media publicity department head Pawan Khera.
"It's a proud moment for us as Shri Rajendra Pal Gautam joins the Congress party," Venugopal said at a press conference.
"The Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra have given a new narrative to the country, and now the country is also accepting it with full might. Attracted by the Congress programs under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, he has decided to join the Congress " Venugopal said of Gautam.
Earlier in the day, Gautam said in a post in Hindi on X, "I am resigning from the membership and all posts of AAP in order to accelerate the struggle for social justice and participation of the Bahujan Samaj in all sectors." Gautam resigned as social welfare minister in October 2022 after he kicked off a political storm over his alleged remarks against Hindu deities.
He is a former Minister for Water, Tourist, Culture, Arts and Languages and Gurudwara Elections in the Government of Delhi, and represents Seemapuri Assembly constituency in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due early next year.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Ex Delhi Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam Resigns From AAP Congress To Go Solo In Delhi Assembly Polls: State Chief To Party Workers Ex-Congress MLA Sushil Rinku Joins AAP Ahead Of Jalandhar Lok Sabha Bypoll How Rift Grew Between AAP and Kailash Gahlot X User Seeks Relief For Middle Class. Nirmala Sitharaman Responds Schools Go Online, No Entry For Trucks As Delhi Air Pollution Worsens Attack On Hmar Village In Manipur By Suspected Meitei Militants Sparked Violence "Will Ask India To Send Back Sheikh Hasina": Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus All About The Indian Satellite To Be Launched By Elon Musk's SpaceX Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.