First, He Ignored Arvind Kejriwal's Calls. Then, MLA Ved Prakash Surfaced At BJP Office

New Delhi: With a crucial election in Delhi now just weeks away, Arvind Kejriwal's party was jolted today with one of its legislators switching to the BJP, claiming that the government has defaulted on basic promises it offered ahead of its tectonic victory in 2015.

The Delhi assembly has 70 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party or AAP won all but three. On April 23, the national capital will elect the 272 members of its municipal corporation. The agency, governed by the BJP, decides such crucial matters as health and sanitation.

A strong showing is vital for AAP after it defied expectations to lose Punjab to the Congress, a defeat which hems in its plans for national expansion. The complete takeover of Uttar Pradesh, by the BJP could also impact the election result for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, with the indisputable Modi Wave primed to help the Prime Minister's party.

Announcing his relocation to the BJP, Ved Prakash Satish, one of AAP's 67 lawmakers in Delhi, said, "I was feeling suffocated in the AAP. They (AAP) have failed to deliver on the promises which they had made during assembly elections. There are around 35 MLAs in the AAP who are not happy with the party leadership."

Mr Satish's changeover shocked AAP which cancelled a scheduled press conference after hearing of the defection. Mr Satish made his surprise announcement at the BJP headquarters; sources in his former party said he did not take calls from Mr Kejriwal before revealing his new allegiance.