Former Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot is likely to join BJP on Monday a day after resigning from the Aam Aadmi Party. “An eminent personality will join BJP today at 12:30 PM,” BJP’s media cell said. The development comes just months ahead of the crucial Delhi elections.
Gahlot, who held the Transport portfolio, alleged “political ambitions” have overtaken AAP’s commitment towards people. In his resignation to AAP convener Arvind Kejriw, Galot said, “Instead of fighting for people’s rights we have increasingly only been fighting for our own political agenda.”
AAP Faces Grave Challenges: Kailash Gahlot
The prominent Jat leader also took a jab at Kejriwal as he flagged some “awkward” and “embarrassing” controversies like ‘sheeshmahal’, saying it makes everyone doubt if “we still believe in being ‘Aam Aadmi”. BJP has been alleging that Kejriwal spent crores on luxury items and modern facilities at his official residence and described it as ‘sheeshmahal’.
“Aam Aadmi Party faces grave challenges. Challenges from within, to the very values that brought us together to AAP. Political ambitions have overtaken our commitment towards people, leaving many promises unfulfilled,” Gahlot wrote in the letter.
AAP leaders said Gahlot was facing ED and CBI probes and had no option but to join the BJP as it was a “dirty political conspiracy” of the BJP which was “misusing” central agencies.
“Pressure was created on Kailash Gahlot through ED and CBI raids, and now he is speaking according to the BJP’s script,” AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said.
AAP Has Undergone Political Conversion: BJP
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said AAP has undergone “political conversion” to become “khas” (privileged).
The BJP said that Gahlot quit the party like several others in the past because AAP has moved away from the values it once stood for. “It is now the Arvind Aadmi Party,” the BJP leader said.
Gahlot, the MLA from Najafgarh, tendered his resignation from the council of ministers with immediate effect. His portfolios will remain with Chief Minister Atishi.
In April, Raaj Kumar Anand stepped down as Social Welfare minister in the AAP government and quit the party. He joined the BJP in July. Rajendra Pal Gautam, a former minister in the AAP government, quit AAP and joined the Congress in September.
