In a setback to the Aam Aadmi Party, Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot has resigned from his post and quit the party. This setback for AAP comes ahead of the Delhi assembly electionღs.
AAP, in response to Gahlot's resignation, said that he was facing pressure of ED and CBI probe🐈s and had no option bওut to join the BJP.
Along with the Department of Transport, Gahlot heౠld other key portfolios in the NCT government such as ho🦩me, IT and Women and Child Development.
After resigning from the post and quitting the party, the Delhi minister stated in his resignation letter that AAP faces "grave challenges" from within the party, taking a jibe a꧋t Arvind Kejriwal's leadership of the party.
"Political ambitions have overtaken ouജr commitment towards people, leaving many promises unfulfilled. Take for example the Yamuna, which we had promised to transform into a clean river, but never got around to doing it. Now the Yamuna River is perhaps even more pollute﷽d than ever before," said Gahlot.
The former Delhi minister is expected to join the Bharatiya Janta Party. Several BJP leaders have also commented on his resignation and lꦉauded Gahlot for "Showing Kejriwal a mirror".
Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party alleged th☂at the BJP is "misusing" central agencies for "dirty political conspiracies."
"Pressure was created on Kailash Gahlot through ED and CBI raids, and now he is speaking according to the BJP's script," PTI quoted AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
On the other hand, the BJP alleged that AAP has moved away from the values it once stood for to serve the interests of its convenor Arvind Kejriwal which has led to the resignation of Gahlot and other le🦄aders. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said it has undergone "p🔯olitical conversion" to become "khas" (privileged). It is now the Arvind Aadmi Party, the BJP leader said.
Earlier in April, Raaj Kumar Anand left t♓he Aam Aadmi Party an💦d stepped down as Social Welfare minister in the AAP government. He later joined the BJP in July. Rajendra Pal Gautam, a former minister in the AAP government, also quit the party and joined the Congress in September.
Gahlot's resignation and possible allegiance to the BJP cames as a major setback for AAP, especially aft🌳er their losses in the Lok Sabha elections. During the general elections, all seven seats of the N🎀ational Capital were won by the BJP.
After Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court, the AAP leader walked out of Tihar jail and offered to resign. Following his resignation, Atishi took over as leader and Chief Minister of Delhi as the capita🌱l prepares for early assembly elect🤡ions.
