Kailash Gahlot, a former member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), resigned from the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Wednesday after switching allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
In his resignation letter, Gahlot stated, “As you may be aware, I resigned as a Minister in the Delhi government (GNCTD) on November 17. On the same day, I also resigned from the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party. The main reason was that AAP had begun to deviate from its moral and ethical values, making it difficult for me to continue.”
He concluded his letter by formally tendering his resignation from the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
Gahlot had previously resigned as Delhi’s Transport Minister and left AAP on November 17, joining the BJP the following day. On November 23, he was appointed as a member of the Delhi Assembly Election Coordination Committee by Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva, with the approval of the party’s senior leadership.
Additionally, Gahlot met with Union Health Minister and BJP President JP Nadda to discuss preparations for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, which are expected to take place early next year.
After joining the BJP, Gahlot elaborated on his decision to leave AAP, citing a gradual erosion of the party’s values and principles. Speaking to ANI, he remarked, “It doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time to understand certain things. I’ve repeatedly stated that we are connected to certain values and principles. When I observed a dilution of those values, I found the courage to quit. Several others like me haven’t yet found the courage, but I believe they will.”
In the meantime, the Aam Aadmi Party has released its first list of 11 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, which includes candidates for constituencies such as Chhatarpur, Kirari, Vishwas Nagar, Rohtash Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Badarpur, Seelampur, Seemapuri, Ghonda, Karawal Nagar, and Matiala.
In the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, AAP achieved a significant victory, winning 62 out of 70 seats, while the BJP secured eight.
