Former Bengaluru Commissioner of Police Bhaskar Rao has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. The decision comes less than a year after him joining the Aam Aadmi Party. Reports suggest that the former bureaucrat did not find any growth opportunities in the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, and thus he chose to move out.
Bhaskar Rao held positions of responsibility in the AAP. Besides being the party’s vice president in the state, he was also appointed as the chairman of AAP’s party manifesto committee in January 2023.
Bhaskar Rao with the AAP chief, Arvind Kejriwal. Credits – Zee News
He was in touch with the BJP for a few days. On February 28th, he visited the state office of the party and held meetings with the state president of the party Nalin Kumar Kateel and the party’s Karnataka in-charge K. Annamalai.
The former officer had taken voluntary retirement from the service to join hands with the Aam Aadmi Party. Once a vice president of the state AAP, Rao has stated that he joined the BJP just as a party worker.
“I was thinking of changing the party since January and, after a lot of discussions, decided to join the BJP. I have not asked for any posts or anything. I will work in the party as a worker,” Rao said.
Reports state that the former AAP leader was hopeful of fighting the assembly elections from Malleswaram or Basavanagudi constituencies. After his exit from the party, sources close to the AAP stated that Rao was expecting to become the party chief in the state. However, they have agreed to his leaving the party to be a big blow.
Credits – Telegraph India
The officer shot to fame in the city for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even then he found himself in a controversy when it was alleged that Rao had lobbied for the top post in the police.
