Gurugram: Former MP Ashok Tanwar Thursday resigned from the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), citing its alliance with the Congress, which he said his “ethics” don’t allow.
Although Tanwar, the AAP’s campaign committee chief for Haryana, didn’t divulge his future plans, sources close to him told The Print that he is likely to join the BJP Saturday. He had met Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar last week.
Tanwar began his political career with the Congress as a secretary in its student wing, the National Student Union of India (NSUI), and served as national president of the Indian Youth Congress as well as chief of the Haryana Congress before quitting over differences with former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
In a letter dated 18 January and addressed to AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Tanwar wrote, “In view of the current political scenario and your alignment with the Indian National Congress, my ethics won’t allow me to continue as chairman, election campaign committee, Aam Aadmi Party, Haryana.”
He also requested Kejriwal to accept his resignation from the primary membership and all other responsibilities within the AAP.
“As a responsible citizen of the country and being into active politics since my student days, I have always believed in our Constitution, the country and its people first. I will continue to work for the betterment of the state of Haryana, our beloved country Bharat and its people,” said Tanwar.
The AAP and the Congress have come together under the banner of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, which is looking to unseat the Modi government in this year’s Lok Sabha election.
Tanwar had met Khattar at a Delhi hotel last week, triggering speculation that he is headed for the BJP.
He went off the radar subsequently, but sources close to him had confirmed that he would be joining the BJP soon.
Speaking to media persons at Karnal last week, Khattar tried to play down the meeting by saying that he keeps meeting many political persons from his own party as well as the Opposition,
But Haryana BJP spokesperson Sanjay Sharma confirmed to ThePrint that Tanwar joining the party was on the agenda when he met Khattar.
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Stint with Congress
Born in a Dalit family in Jhajjar’s Chimni village, Tanwar (48) had his first brush with politics as an NSUI member at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he pursued his Master’s and PhD at the Centre for Historical Studies.
He became a secretary of the NSUI in 1999 and its president in 2003.
In 2005, he married Avantika Maken, granddaughter of former President Shankar Dayal Sharma. Maken was also a secretary of the NSUI along with him.
The same year, Tanwar was named president of the Indian Youth Congress. He was considered a member of Rahul Gandhi’s inner coterie.
Tanwar was elected to the Lok Sabha from Sirsa in 2009. However, he lost the seat in 2014 and 2019.
Shortly before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Tanwar was appointed president of the Haryana Congress. However, his relations soured with Hooda over the selection of candidates for the 2014 assembly polls.
Tanwar was replaced by Kumari Selja as state Congress president a month before the 2019 assembly polls. Within days, he quit the Congress over his supporters being denied tickets.
Tanwar supported Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party in the assembly polls, before floating his own outfit, the Apna Bharat Morcha. He had a brief stint in Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress before joining the AAP in April 2022.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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