Kailash Gehlot’s Exit from AAP: Kailash Gehlot has resigned from the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) shortly before the assembly elections in Delhi. What is the reason for Kailash Gehlot leaving the party? AAP leaders are blaming the BJP for Gehlot’s resignation. They are saying that Gehlot has left the party under pressure of investigation by central investigative agencies. But is this really the reason, or is the clash of ambitions between Gehlot and Chief Minister Atishi the reason behind this?
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The rift between Aam Aadmi Party and Kailash Gehlot was increasing for a long time. The script of his resignation was written in December last year when the Justice Department was taken away from Kailash Gehlot and given to Atishi.
People close to Kailash Gehlot say that it was then clear that the top leadership of the party does not trust Kailash Gehlot as much as Atishi. Then after Arvind Kejriwal went to jail, on the issue of hoisting the flag on 15 August, Kejriwal wanted Atishi to hoist the flag but the Lieutenant Governor gave Kailash Gehlot the opportunity to hoist the flag.
The question is also being raised whether Kailash Gehlot was also a contender for the post of Chief Minister, which was given to Atishi instead of him.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh has said that Kailash Gehlot is reading the script of BJP. Whereas Kailash Gehlot has written in his letter that the credibility of Aam Aadmi Party was continuously falling on the issue of cleaning of Yamuna and ‘Sheeshmahal’.
Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal is silent on Gehlot’s resignation. In a press conference organised to welcome former BJP MLA Anil Jha into AAP, Kejriwal was asked about Gehlot’s sudden resignation. On this, he immediately turned the mike towards senior party leader Durgesh Pathak sitting next to him. Durgesh Pathak said that Kailash Gehlot was being questioned and raided by the ED and Income Tax Department for several months.
When the reporter asked him to respond, before Pathak could start speaking, Kejriwal smiled and said, “You want an answer, don’t you?” Kejriwal soon after criticised the BJP, but did not mention Gehlot’s resignation.
Gehlot had no option: Durgesh Pathak
Durgesh Pathak said, “Kailash Gehlot has been questioned and raided by ED and Income Tax Department for many months, so he had no choice. He said, but this makes it clear that BJP has lost the Delhi elections. They have no issue. They are fighting on the strength of ED, CBI and Income Tax Department and we are fighting on people’s issues.”
Earlier, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that Gehlot’s resignation is a part of BJP’s “dirty politics”. In a video shared from AAP’s Twitter handle, he said, “Kailash Gehlot was being pressurised through ED-CBI raids and he is speaking according to BJP’s script. Modi washing machine has started working before the Delhi elections. Now many leaders will be inducted into BJP through this.”
Opposition parties often use the term ‘washing machine’ to accuse the BJP of forcing opposition leaders to change parties by threatening them with investigations by central agencies. Opposition parties allege that any action against such leaders is stopped as soon as they join the BJP.
Gehlot hints at serious challenges within AAP
Aam Aadmi Party’s reaction came about an hour after Gehlot posted his resignation letter on his X handle. Gehlot, a senior party leader, was in charge of key departments like Home and Transport. He has pointed to serious challenges within the AAP in the letter addressed to Kejriwal.
Kailash Gehlot wrote, “Political ambitions have overtaken our commitment to the people, due to which many promises have remained unfulfilled. For example, take the Yamuna, which we promised to turn into a clean river, but it never happened. Now the Yamuna river has probably become more polluted than before.”
Gehlot, in a clear attack on Kejriwal, referred to several embarrassing and bizarre controversies like the “Sheeshmahal” term used by the BJP for the chief minister’s residence renovated during Kejriwal’s tenure. Gehlot said such controversies “are now making everyone doubt whether we still believe in being aam aadmi.”
The ability to provide basic services to the people of Delhi has been crippled
Gehlot said, “The Aam Aadmi Party is fighting for its political agenda and it has severely crippled our ability to provide even basic services to the people of Delhi.” He said, “It is now clear that real progress cannot happen in Delhi if the Delhi government spends most of its time fighting with the Centre.”
Gehlot finally wrote, “I started my political journey with a commitment to serve the people of Delhi and I want to continue it. That is why I have no choice but to part ways with AAP and hence I am resigning from the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party. I wish you all the best for your health and future.”
Kailash Gehlot, a lawyer by profession, is an MLA from Najafgarh assembly constituency. He has been a cabinet minister since 2015. He also took over the important finance department after the arrest of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a corruption case last year.
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