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Celebrity teacher Avadh Ojha quits politics, AAP reacts with 'short-term' jab
AAP leader Somnath Bharti reacted to Ojha's X post, saying “I have personal regard for you… but politics is not a short term project."
Avadh Ojha, a civil services exam trainer who fought the last Delhi assembly election on the AAP ticket, has announced “retirement” from politics. In his goodbye post, about 10 months after he lost to the BJP candidate in the Patparganj assembly segment, called AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal “a very great leader”. But Ojha got a sharp retort from AAP's Somnath Bharti.
In his post on X in Hindi, Avadh Ojha, who is a social media celebrity, shared “a heartfelt thank you” to Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, “all AAP office-bearers, workers, leaders etc", as per a PTI report.
He said, “I shall remain indebted for the love and respect you have given me. Retirement from politics is my personal decision. Arvind ji, you are a very great leader. Jai Hind.”
He also thanked the residents of Patparganj for giving him “so much love”.
AAP lost power to the BJP in that election after a decade.
Ojha, who is also a motivational speaker, was fielded in place of former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who won Patparganj in 2013, 2015 and 2020. He lost to BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi by a margin of over 28,000 votes. Sisodia unsuccessfully contested from Jangpura.
Ojha's announcement came just days after he expressed his desire to “retire from politics” in an interview. He also said he won’t join any other party and will return to his teaching career, the field that made him a popular figure among civil service aspirants.
From the AAP, senior leader Somnath Bharti reacted to his X post.
“I have personal regard for you… but politics is not a short term project,” Bharti wrote to Ojha.
“A person of your maturity and prominence should have weighed options before stepping into politics and that too with AAP,” he further remarked.
Bharti, who is a former MLA from Malviya Nagar, also noted that others “who have worked hard since the beginning” could have been given the ticket from Patparganj, "but the party gave you that opportunity, believing that you would work with us irrespective of the electoral results".
The lawyer-politician termed the AAP “the future of India”, and said rhetrically: "Which party talks of reforms in education, healthcare and other basic needs of ordinary people which makes over 90% population of India?"
He said others do not talk about people's concerns.
“Please listen to speeches of BJP and Cong leaders, NO ONE talks of basic concerns common people are facing. Not done, Ojha ji!” read Bharti's post.
