Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot joined the BJP on Monday, just one day after resigning from the Aam Aadmi Party. He emphasized that his departure from Delhi’s ruling party was not due to pressure from the Enforcement Directorate and CBI.
“Some individuals might assume that this decision was made impulsively and under external pressure. I want to clarify that I have never acted under anyone’s influence to date… I am aware that efforts are being made to create a narrative suggesting it was prompted by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation… all of this is incorrect,” he stated.
In his resignation letter, Gahlot expressed that AAP’s “political ambitions” have surpassed its dedication to the public.
“Rather than advocating for people’s rights, we have increasingly focused on our own political agenda,” the 50-year-old wrote in his letter to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal.
Gahlot, a significant Jat leader within the party, also criticized Kejriwal as he pointed out certain “awkward” and “embarrassing” controversies, such as ‘Sheeshmahal’, suggesting it raises doubts about our commitment to being ‘Aam Aadmi’.
The decision by Gahlot, who managed the portfolios of Home, Administrative Reforms, IT, and Women and Child Development, comes at a crucial time when the party is preparing for the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February next year.
Gahlot is the third member of the Kejriwal cabinet to resign from both the party and his ministerial position. Earlier in April, Raaj Kumar Anand, who oversaw social welfare and labour and employment, left the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Anand succeeded Rajendra Pal Gautam, who had resigned from both the party and the cabinet in November 2022.
In his resignation letter, Kailash Gahlot strongly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party’s transformation from championing the rights of citizens to pursuing its political agenda. He claimed that this shift has impaired the party’s ability to provide essential services to the people of Delhi.
Gahlot pointed out the unfulfilled promise of cleaning the Yamuna River, which remains as polluted as ever, and raised alarm over controversies such as the ‘Sheeshmahal’ issue. He suggested that these matters have led the public to question whether AAP still adheres to its founding principle of being a party for the “Aam Aadmi.”
Besides these particular failings, Gahlot also underscored internal challenges within the party, asserting that AAP’s preoccupation with political ambitions over public service has obstructed progress on vital issues impacting the citizens of Delhi.
