Setback for AAP in Delhi as Kailash Gahlot quits

Senior Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot on Sunday quit the Aam Aadmi Party and resigned from the cabinet in a setback for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party months ahead of the crucial assembly elections in Delhi.
In his resignation letter addressed to Kejriwal, Gahlot has cited “grave challenges that the party faces from within”, “embarrassing controversies” it is embroiled in and “unfilled promises” made by the party. He also argued that real progress for Delhi cannot happen if the Delhi government spends majority of its time fighting the Central government.
Gahlot a popular Jat leader from Najafgarh, the area that he represents in the Delhi assembly, held many important departments such as transport, home, administrative reforms, women and child development and Information Technology.
Gahlot is the third member of the Kejriwal cabinet to have quit the party and the ministerial portfolio. In April, Raaj Kumar Anand, the minister in charge of social welfare and labour and employment, quit the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Anand replaced Rajendra Pal Gautam who had resigned from the party and the cabinet in November 2022.
The AAP holds a comfortable majority with 59 members, including Gahlot, in the 70-member Delhi assembly.
The BJP welcomed Gahlot’s resignation, calling it a “brave step forward”. It claimed that the resignation reinforces BJP’s allegations regarding against the Delhi government. However, the AAP alleged that Gahlot was pressured by the central agencies such as Income Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate, leaving him no option but to join the BJP.
In a separate one-line letter to chief minister Atishi, Gahlot announced his resignation from the Delhi cabinet. The AAP said that the chief minister has accepted Gahlot’s resignation.
Gahlot, 50, was first elected MLA from Najafgarh in 2015. He retained the seat in 2020.
Rumours of differences between Gahlot and the AAP have gained ground since August following the controversy over flag hoisting at the state function on August 15. Kejriwal, when he was still the Delhi chief minister and was in prison in connection with the excise policy case, had nominated Atishi to hoist the flat at the state Independence Day function. Lieutenant governor VK Saxena rejected the proposal on August 13, and nominated Gahlot to unfurl the national tricolour.
In his letter to Kejriwal, Gahlot said the party is facing “embarrassing and awkward” controversies like “Sheeshmahal” (a reference to the row over renovations at the Delhi chief minister’s official residence) which are now making everyone doubt whether the party still believes in Aam Aadmi (common man). The BJP has claimed that the Delhi government crores of public money over lavish renovations at the chief minister’s official residence at Flagstaff Road.
“Political ambitions have overtaken our 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 polluted than ever before. Apart from this, now there are many embarrassing and awkward controversies like the ‘SHEESHMAHAL’, which are now making everyone doubt whether we still believe in being the AAM AADMI,” he said.
“I also want to share with you that today the Aam Aadmi Party faces grave challenges. Challenges from within, to the very values that brought us together to AAP,” Gahlot added.
Gahlot alleged that instead of fighting for the rights of the people, the AAP was busy fighting for its own agenda which has “crippled the delivery of even basic services in Delhi.”
“It is now obvious that real progress in Delhi cannot happen if the Delhi government spends majority of its time fighting with the Centre,” Gahlot said.
The AAP leader also questioned the party’s commitment to fulfil several promises it had made to the city residents, including cleaning the Yamuna. “Political ambitions have overtaken AAPs commitment towards people leaving many promises unfulfilled. Take the example of the Yamuna, which we had promised to transform into a clean river…but now Yamuna is perhaps even more polluted than ever before,” he said.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the BJP had been raising the same issues that Gahlot has raised in his resignation letter, calling it a “brave step”.
“The issues which were being raised by the BJP have also been cited by Gahlot in his resignation. Within the Aam Aadmi Party, people also believe the tax payer’s money has been wasted on former CM’s residence. He mentioned Yamuna which is severely polluted and no progress has been made over the last 10 years. Any honest person who loves Delhi, can no longer work with the AAP anymore,” Sachdeva said.
The AAP alleged that Gahlot was under pressure from the agencies under the BJP-led central government. In a statement, the party said, “There were many income tax and Enforcement Directorate cases against Gahlot and multiple raids had been carried out by these agencies. He had no other option but to join the BJP. This is a conspiracy by the BJP which wants to win Delhi elections with the help of central agencies,” the AAP said.
When asked about the resignation, AAP legislator Durgesh Pathak said ED and IT departments were “carrying out raids on Gahlot”.
Gahlot did not respond to queries seeking his response to AAP’s allegations.
“There was no other option for him but to join the BJP. One thing is clear… the BJP lost the elections even before the polls begin. They are fighting elections in Delhi with the help of ED, CBI and Income tax department,” he added.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said Gahlot’s resignation is part of BJP’s dirty politics under which his house was raided by agencies multiple times. He has been a part of the government over the last five years and now he is making these allegations based on “BJP’s script”, Singh said.
“Kailash Gahlot’s resignation is a part of BJP’s dirty politics and conspiracy. BJP launched ED raids on him. Income tax raids were conducted at his residence for several days. Pressure was created on him due to which Kailash Gahlot had to take this step. He did not have any option other than joining the BJP,” the AAP MP said.
To be sure, there was no immediate announcement by either Gahlot or the BJP of the AAP leader joining the opposition party.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said Gahlot’s resignation was not surprising. “It did not came as a surprise, given the way Arvind Kejriwal behaves with his colleagues… Not all people can compromise with their self-respect. Others like Manish Sisodia are neck deep in scams and have nowhere else to go, they are forced to stay back in AAP… The honest people in AAP are neither able to work, nor are they able to protect their self-respect,” the former Congress MP said.