E-Paper
'Lost faith in you': 7 AAP MLAs resign days before Delhi election
Delhi election: The AAP lawmakers who resigned on Friday include Rohit Mehraulia, Madan Lal, Rajesh Rishi, Bhavna Gaur and others
Seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs resigned from the party on Friday after being “denied tickets” for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, saying they had “lost faith in the party and its supremo Arvind Kejriwal.”
The MLAs who resigned include Rohit Mehraulia from Trilokpuri, Madan Lal from Kasturba Nagar, Rajesh Rishi from Janakpuri, Bhavna Gaud from Palam, Bhupender Singh June from Bijwasan, and Pawan Kumar Sharma from Adarsh Nagar.
Delhi will vote in a single phase on February 5, with the counting scheduled for February 8.
Resigned MLA accuse AAP of ‘unfulfilled’ promises
Rohit Kumar Mehraulia, the MLA from Trilokpuri constituency, resigned from all positions and the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), citing “unfulfilled promises” to uplift the Dalit/Valmiki community, ANI reported.
He accused the party of "exploiting" his community for political gains while failing to address issues like ending contract employment and making temporary staff permanent. Mehraulia, who had supported AAP’s rise to power, expressed disappointment over the suppression of his concerns within the party.
Similarly, Madan Lal, MLA from Kasturba constituency, and Bhavna Gaud from the Palam seat also resigned from the party's primary membership, stating they had "lost faith" in AAP and its leader Arvind Kejriwal.
Rajesh Rishi from the Janakpuri constituency resigned from all positions and his primary membership of AAP, accusing the party of abandoning its founding principles of corruption-free governance, transparency, and accountability.
Pawan Kumar Sharma (Adarsh Nagar constituency) said, “The party has deviated from the honest ideology on which the Aam Aadmi Party was formed. I am very sad to see the plight of The Aam Aadmi Party. Please accept my resignation.”
Bhupender Singh June from Bijwasan constituency also resigned from his posts and primary membership, stating his decision was based on witnessing a “significant deviation” from the values and principles on which the party was founded.
"AAP was envisioned as a transparent, people-centric organization committed to eradicating corruption and fostering ethical governance. However, over time, the party has increasingly exhibited traits of centralization, opacity, and a lack of internal democracy," he said in his resignation letter.
AAP has dominated the last two assembly elections, securing 67 and 62 out of 70 seats, respectively, and is now working to retain its stronghold. Meanwhile, the BJP, which has been out of power in the national capital for nearly three decades, is aiming for a comeback after winning just 3 and 8 seats in the last two elections. The Congress, which governed Delhi for 15 years, failed to win any seats in the past two elections.
Kerjiwal's campaign ahead of polls
Amid election campaigning, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed that a family in Delhi with 18 members saves ₹50,000 per month by availing benefits from various schemes provided by the Delhi government.
Kejriwal talked about key initiatives such as free electricity, education, healthcare, and bus rides for women. Speaking about AAP’s newly launched ‘Budget Patra’ campaign, he added, “AAP government's initiatives provide a monthly benefit of ₹25,000 to every Delhi family, with new schemes adding another ₹10,000 in savings.”
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal congratulated Delhi residents for their "struggle" to stop the flow of contaminated water. In a post on X, he stated that ammonia levels in the water had dropped from 7 ppm to 2 ppm, preventing a "potential water crisis."
Meanwhile, the Election Commission met with Kejriwal on Friday morning as a special case, adjusting its previous schedule due to the ongoing campaign period. The Commission gave him a patient hearing regarding his statements on Yamuna poisoning and mass genocide.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
