Gandhinagar, Mar 14 (IANS): Manisha Kukadia, an SC councillor in Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) who jumped ship from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last month, returned to her original party AAP on Monday.

Five AAP corporators in the SMC had left the party and joined the BJP more than a month ago. All the five were inducted into the saffron fold in the presence of Gujarat Minister of State (MoS) for Home, Harsh Sanghvi.

After joining the BJP, Manisha Jagdishbhai Kukadiya of Ward No. 5 had alleged that the AAP discriminated against the SC community and that she was a victim of this discrimination.

The AAP in Surat had issued a show-cause notice to corporator Vipul Movliya for his 'suspicious' activities besides suspending all the five councillors who left the party.

The AAP had alleged that all the defectors were lured with monetary gains and other temptations, an allegation that was denied by all the five corporators, who claimed that their voices were not heard in the party.

But on Monday, Manisha returned to the AAP fold, Gujarat AAP chief Gopal Italia announced.

The AAP corporator said that she had joined the BJP without pressure from anyone.