Eight AAP MLAs send resignations to Kejriwal citing 'growing corruption' within party

Mehrauli MLA Naresh Yadav, while sending his resignation to AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal, said the ruling party had deviated from its founding principle of "honest politics."
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.(File Photo | EPS)
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NEW DELHI: In a major blow to the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, eight MLAs have resigned from the party. The eight MLAs of Delhi's ruling party did not get tickets to contest the upcoming polls. The MLAs cited "growing corruption" within the party as the reason for their resignations.

The MLAs who have resigned from the primary membership of the party are Naresh Yadav from Mehrauli, Rohit Kumar from Trilokpuri, Rajesh Rishi from Janakpuri, Madan Lal from Kasturba Nagar, Pawan Sharma from Adarsh Nagar, BS Joon from Bijwasan, Girish Soni from Madipur and Bhawna Goud from Palam. According to sources, several MLAs who did not get a ticket this time held a meeting on Friday following which resignations came one by one. The AAP’s Bijwasan MLA was the first to quit the party.

AAP’s Mehrauli MLA Naresh Yadav was convicted by a Punjab court in a Quran desecration case in December and sentenced to a two-year jail term. Earlier, the party announced his candidature from the same assembly constituency but when it released its fifth list of candidates, it announced Mahender Chaudhary as its Mehrauli candidate, replacing Yadav.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
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Yadav, while sending his resignation to the AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal, said the ruling party had deviated from its founding principle of "honest politics." “I dedicated my entire life to politics and worked under your leadership with utmost honesty and dedication. I made every effort to realize your vision and also contributed 100% to fulfilling the responsibilities given to me. However, today, the party has drifted from its core ideology, and good people who want to work honestly are being sidelined, while those involved in corrupt practices are being given a place in the organization," he said in his letter.

Yadav further said that the AAP is no longer what it was founded for. In such a situation, he no longer wishes to be a part of the party. Hence, he resigned from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect.

Reacting to the setback, the AAP said it is a widely loved party with many able and well-educated candidates aspiring for tickets. This time, some MLAs were denied tickets, leading to dissatisfaction, it said. For the past few weeks, BJP members have been constantly approaching AAP MLAs who did not get tickets this time, luring them with various offers, promising positions, power and incentives, the party alleged.

“Kejriwal’s true soldiers will stand with the AAP till their last breath because they didn’t enter politics for positions like MLA, Councilor, or Minister—they joined to serve the nation, no matter what role they are given. Under his leadership, AAP gave tickets to ordinary individuals from humble backgrounds and made them MLAs. This is only possible in the AAP—elsewhere, it takes a lifetime just to become a councillor,” the party said in a statement.

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