Major Shake-Up in AAP: 8 MLAs Resign After Being Denied Tickets

In a significant political shift ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, eight legislators from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have resigned after being left out of the candidate list. The party, contesting all 70 seats in the upcoming polls on February 5, has dropped 20 incumbent MLAs, replacing some with candidates from rival parties.

Resignations Shake AAP

The eight MLAs who stepped down are:

Girish Soni (Madipur)

Rohit Mehraulia (Trilokpuri)

Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar)

Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri)

Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli)

Bhavna Gaur (Palam)

Pawan Kumar Sharma (Adarsh Nagar)

BS Joon (Bijwasan)

Reasons Behind the Resignations

Girish Soni (Madipur)

Soni cited dissatisfaction with internal party affairs, stating that AAP’s actions had been under scrutiny for a long time. He questioned whether the party still represented 'common people' and declared his resignation from all responsibilities and primary membership.

Rohit Mehraulia (Trilokpuri)

Expressing frustration over unfulfilled promises, Mehraulia accused AAP of failing to uplift the Dalit/Valmiki community and using them for political gains. He stated that the party neglected employment issues, despite his early support in AAP’s rise to power.

Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar)

Denied a ticket for the upcoming elections, Lal expressed his loss of faith in both AAP and its leadership, prompting his departure from the party.

Bhavna Gaur (Palam)

Gaur announced her resignation via social media, asserting that she had lost trust in Arvind Kejriwal and the party’s leadership. She shared an image of her official resignation letter to confirm her decision.

Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri)

Rishi accused AAP of straying from its founding principles of transparency, corruption-free governance, and accountability. He said the party no longer upheld the values it once stood for, leading him to step down.

Pawan Kumar Sharma (Adarsh Nagar)

Sharma criticized AAP for deviating from its original ideology, stating that the party had moved away from honesty and integrity. Saddened by the party’s condition, he submitted his resignation.

BS Joon (Bijwasan)

Joon highlighted a significant shift in AAP’s approach, claiming that it had become centralized, opaque, and lacked internal democracy. He expressed disappointment in the party’s evolution and opted to resign.

Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli)

Yadav cited corruption as the main reason for his departure. He emphasized that AAP was originally formed to combat corruption but had now become entrenched in it. Reflecting on the party’s origins from an anti-corruption movement, he stated that his initial goal was to help create a corruption-free India, but he no longer believed AAP aligned with that vision.

Election Outlook

As AAP restructures its candidate list, the upcoming Delhi elections are set to be a crucial test for the party’s credibility and electoral strategy. With dissent among senior members and a reshuffling of candidates, the political landscape in the capital is witnessing significant shifts. The results, set to be declared on February 8, will reveal how these developments impact AAP’s standing in the city.