Following the victory of AAP in Punjab, the party has set plans to expand in the south. After resigning from the service, the former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao has joined the party to support the expansion in Karnataka. He was welcomed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and accompanied by Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Karnataka Convenor Prithvi Reddy, and Karnataka In-Charge Dilip Pandey.
Welcoming Rao to the party, Kejriwal said, “I am delighted to welcome Shri Bhaskar Rao to the AAP today, and I am confident that he will prove to be an asset to our family and will strengthen AAP’s foothold in not just Karnataka, but the entire country.”
Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said, “The AAP has made significant progress over the years in Delhi. The image of the AAP government has emerged in the form of the unique ‘Kejriwal Model of Governance’ across the country, a glimpse of which was seen in the recent elections in Punjab. After AAP’s landslide victory in Punjab and the well-established government in Delhi, the development work done by the AAP is being praised all over the country, which is sending a new wave of energy across the nation.”
Praising CM Arvind Kejriwal, Rao said, “AAP has changed the political landscape of the country. Punjab recognised this and brought the AAP government in with a majority win. The common people in Karnataka also wish for a change. AAP promises to change the system. This is the kind of governance that is needed all over the country. Karnataka is the most progress-oriented state in India, but there is plenty of scope for improvement in its administration.”
Rao had visited Delhi a couple of times. During his tenure, Rao served as Superintendent of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police in Mandya, Davanagere, Shimoga, Hubli-Dharwad City, Kodagu, Bangalore City, and Bangalore Rural District. He has also served as the Managing Director of the Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS), where he initiated various creative projects. He has also worked for the Karnataka government as a Transport Commissioner. He was also an additional Director General of Police, Internal Security Division, and Karnataka Railway Police.