15 AAP councillors leave party in Delhi, float new outfit
The councillors, under the leadership of Mukesh Goel, announced a new party called Indraprastha Vikas Party
Fifteen councillors affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have resigned from the party membership in Delhi and announced the formation of a separate party on Saturday.
This can be seen as a major setback to the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit in the national capital, just months after the assembly poll drubbing.
The rebel leaders include Mukesh Goel, the leader of the house for AAP in the MCD, Himani Jain, and others. The councillors, under the leadership of Goel, announced a new party called Indraprastha Vikas Party. In the Delhi Assembly elections held in February this year, Goel contested on an AAP ticket from Adarsh Nagar but lost.
"About 15 councillors have resigned from the primary membership of Aam Aadmi Party and formed a new party, Indraprastha Vikas Party. Despite being in power, we could not work for the service of the people of Delhi. We could not work due to internal conflicts," Goel told the media.
Jain also reiterated the same stance, saying that no work could be done in the MCD for the last two-and-a-half years.
"In the last 2.5 years, no work was done in the corporation that should have been done. We were in power, yet we did nothing... We have formed a new party because our ideology is to work for the development of Delhi... We will support the party that will work for the development of Delhi. So far, 15 councillors have resigned. More may join," she told the media.
Most of the leaders in Goel’s leadership had left Congress to join the Aam Aadmi Party before the last municipal elections. Goel himself had switched to AAP from Congress in 2021. He has served as a municipal councillor for 25 years.
Discontent in AAP?
The exodus of so many councillors from AAP points to a serious discontent in the party as the development comes days after the BJP reclaimed control of the MCD following its win in the civic polls. AAP had boycotted the election.
AAP was also routed by the BJP in the assembly polls in February, paving the way for Rekha Gupta to become the first BJP CM of the union territory in 27 years. AAP has been plagued by internal strife since the assembly poll results came in.
AAP carried out an organisational shake-up in March to stem the discontent in the party. Former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj was appointed as the new president of AAP’s Delhi unit. Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was put in charge of Punjab, where the assembly polls are due in 2027.
