In a setback to AAP, 7 MLAs quit party ahead of Delhi polls

In a major jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) less than a week ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, seven sitting MLAs have tendered their resignation and quit the party.

The legislators who quit the party -- Bhawna Gaur from Palam, Naresh Yadav from Mehrauli, Rajesh Rishi from Janakpuri, Madan Lal from Kasturba Nagar, Rohit Mehrauliya from Trilokpuri, Bhupinder Singh Joon from Bijawasan, and Pawan Sharma from Adarsh Nagar -- were not given a ticket by the party for the ensuing Assembly polls.

Most of the MLAs in their resignation letters cited that they had "lost faith" in the party over its leaders’ involvement in corruption scandals.

"I joined the Aam Aadmi Party for honesty. But today I can't see that honesty anywhere. I spoke to several people of my Mehrauli constituency and most of them said that AAP is completely embroiled in corruption," Mehrauli MLA Naresh Yadav's letter read.

Yadav in December, 2024 was sentenced to two years in prison in the 2016 Quran desecration case by a court in Punjab's Malerkotla.

Following his conviction, Yadav had on December 20 posted on X that he had requested Arvind Kejriwal not to give him a ticket for the Assembly polls.

"I will not contest elections until I am honorably acquitted. I am completely innocent and the allegations levelled against me are politically motivated and false. That is why I have requested them to free me from contesting elections," Yadav had posted on X on December 20.

Bijawasan MLA Joon stated that he took the decision after witnessing a significant deviation from the values and principles on which the party was founded.

"AAP was envisioned as a transparent, people-centric organisation committed to eradicating corruption and fostering ethical governance. However, over time, the party has increasingly exhibited traits of centralisation and a lack of internal democracy," Joon stated.

He further said that the party initially took a strong stand against giving tickets or membership to individuals with criminal background. However, it has now chosen to field a candidate from Bijwasan AC-36 who has multiple criminal cases registered against him, including offences of moral turpitude.