In a blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, seven outgoing MLAs resigned on Friday, accusing the party of corruption and neglect. The move comes just five days before the polls, raising questions about internal dissent within the ruling party.
MLAs voice discontent
Among those who quit were Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar), Bhavna Gaur (Palam), Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli), Rohit Mehraulia (Trilokpuri), Pawan Sharma (Adarsh Nagar), B S Joon (Bijwasan), and Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri). Many of them posted their resignation letters on social media, openly criticizing AAP’s leadership.
Gaur, a two-time MLA, wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, stating, “I have lost faith in you and the party.” Meanwhile, Mehraulia took aim at AAP’s ideology, claiming, “They only need a photo of Baba Saheb, not his ideology.”
AAP hits back
AAP’s national spokesperson Reena Gupta dismissed the allegations, revealing that a party survey found these MLAs were inaccessible to the public, which led to them being denied tickets.
“They were replaced due to poor feedback. Their resignations and shift to another party only prove their opportunism,” Gupta said.
AAP also defended its candidate selection, emphasizing that it has prioritized “ordinary individuals from humble backgrounds” in its ticket distribution.
Internal rift or political strategy?
While Naresh Yadav was initially given a ticket, AAP revoked it following his conviction in a 2016 religious desecration case. His replacement by Mahender Chaudhary fueled speculation about selective candidate screening.
Meanwhile, some AAP leaders criticized the defectors, with Kirari MLA Rituraj Jha accusing them of betraying the party. “History will never forgive them,” he said, reaffirming loyalty to Kejriwal.
BJP eyes opportunity
With AAP battling to retain power for a third consecutive term, the BJP sees a chance to break its 25-year exile from Delhi’s governance. The resignations could provide the opposition with ammunition to question Kejriwal’s leadership ahead of the February 5 polls.