Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 3: Priyanka Kakkar on Saturday joined the Congress after quitting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying she could no longer defend what she described as “indefensible” actions of her former party.
Addressing a press conference, Kakkar said she wanted to see a green, clean, progressive and safe Delhi, similar to the city she grew up in.
“I need the Delhi back in which I grew up, wanting a green, clean, progressive, and safe Delhi that was part of my upbringing. I truly believe, after over a decade of experience in Indian politics, that only the Congress can achieve this,” she said.
Kakkar also praised Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, describing him as an authentic leader who was not afraid to express his views.
“I also observed that if any leader in our country's politics today is truly authentic and isn't afraid to promote authenticity, it is Rahul Gandhi, who is the only leader today who hasn't shed tears for the camera, remaining resilient despite an entire machinery being deployed to humiliate and demean him,” she said.
Explaining her decision to leave the AAP, Kakkar alleged that the party's conduct had changed over the years. She said the party had initially attracted intelligent and committed people but later struggled to retain them.
“This I am speaking with lived experience. I have left AAP because they used to show that they would not take bungalows and all, but they started travelling in private choppers. I could no longer defend the indefensible,” she said.
Kakkar also alleged that some leaders who, according to her, had been unable to perform booth-level work in Rajasthan were subsequently given positions in Punjab along with other privileges.
“How long can I defend the indefensible?” she asked.
She also referred to Rahul Gandhi's criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raised concerns about voting rights and the functioning of electoral institutions. Kakkar said she believed these issues needed to be brought to the public's attention.
Kakkar was appointed the AAP's National Spokesperson in 2023. She joined the party in 2013 after being inspired by AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and subsequently held several organisational responsibilities.
According to her profile shared by the AAP, Kakkar served as Telangana observer from 2017 to 2019 and later worked as the legal head of the South Delhi parliamentary constituency. She also played a role in Raghav Chadha's Lok Sabha campaign.
From 2021 to 2023, Kakkar worked as an adviser to Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh. She also served as the legal observer for Uttar Pradesh and was part of a 12-member monitoring committee constituted for the state's organisation.
Kakkar holds a master's degree in law from the University of Pennsylvania and has been practising law for 17 years.