In a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025, eight sitting MLAs resigned from the party on Friday. The resignations come just months before the crucial state polls, raising concerns about internal discord within the party.
Bhavna Gaur (Palam), Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri), Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar), Rohit Kumar Mehraulia (Trilokpuri), Bhupinder Singh Joon (Bijwasan), Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli), Pawan Kumar Sharma (Adarsh Nagar) and Girish Soni (Madipur) have left the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.
After resigning as AAP MLA, Bhupinder Singh Joon said, "There is no pressure on us, candidate list came on 9th December and today is 31st January, so amid this, we thought about this and accessed. The ideology with which AAP had come, it has moved away from it...there are 4-5 people in the high command who are totally corrupt and there are chargesheets registered against them in Liquor scam and Swati Maliwal case."
List of resigning AAP MLAs
The seven legislators who stepped down include:
- Bhavna Gaur (Palam): Bhavna Gaur won the two consecutive elections from Palam in 2015 and 2020.
- Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli): Naresh Yadav represented the Mehrauli constituency in 2015 and 2020.
- Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri): AAP's Rajesh Rishi also represented the Janakpuri constituency in 2015 and 2020.
- Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar): Madan Lal is a three-term MLA from Kasturba Nagar. He won the seat in 2013, 2015 and 2020.
- Rohit Kumar Mehraulia (Trilokpuri): Rohit Kumar Mehraulia won the Trilokpuri constituency for the first time in 2020.
- Bhupinder Singh Joon (Bijwasan): Bhupinder Singh Joon won the Bijwasan constituency for the first time in 2020.
- Pawan Kumar Sharma (Adarsh Nagar): Pawan Kumar Sharma won the two consecutive elections from Adarsh Nagar in 2015 and 2020.
Madipur MLA Girish Soni steps down
Madipur MLA Girish Soni has tendered his resignation to the Delhi Assembly Speaker. Soni's resignation follows the exit of seven other AAP legislators in recent days, raising concerns over internal discord within the party ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
Setback to AAP's campaign for elections
In a resignation announced on Friday, Naresh Yadav has sparked speculations of growing internal discontent among leaders of AAP, but the circumstances of his quitting after the exodus of as many as six other MLAs would prove much more challenging times for Arvind Kejriwal ahead of a trying electoral battle in 2025.
While Yadav did not say what he would do next, it was known that dissent and frustration at party leadership may be some factors behind the resignations. Outgoing MLAs are yet to decide whether they will merge with another political party or contest as independents.
Political consequences and AAP response
The AAP has not made any official comment on the mass resignations. However, political analysts believe that this development will weaken the party's prospects in key constituencies. The Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 are approaching, and the resignations pose a fresh challenge to AAP's electoral strategy.
Also read | Delhi Assembly Elections: 6 AAP sitting MLAs quit party soon after Naresh Yadav's exit