In a significant political development, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Kailash Gahlot joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, just a day after resigning from the AAP and stepping down from Delhi’s council of ministers. Gahlot, a prominent figure within AAP, had served in key positions including transport, home, administrative reforms, women and child development, and information technology. His departure comes just months before Delhi is set to go to polls.
At the joining ceremony, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, alongside Delhi BJP election in-charge Baijayant Panda and local unit chief Virendra Sachdeva, welcomed Gahlot into the party fold. Khattar praised Gahlot’s previous contributions as a senior minister and called his induction a “turning point” for Delhi’s politics. “I am sure that you must have seen the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP before deciding to join. I welcome you to the party,” Khattar remarked.
In response to Gahlot’s defection, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal downplayed the move, stating that Gahlot was free to join any party of his choice. “He is free to go and join any party,” Kejriwal said, while highlighting the development works carried out by the AAP in Delhi’s rural areas.
Following Gahlot’s resignation, AAP announced the induction of Raghuvinder Shokeen, the representative from Nangloi Jat assembly constituency, into the council of ministers to fill the void left by Gahlot.
In his resignation letter to Kejriwal, Gahlot cited “grave challenges” within the party, “embarrassing controversies” it had faced, and “unfilled promises” as reasons for his decision to leave. He added that real progress for Delhi could not happen if the government continued to be embroiled in conflicts with the Union government. Gahlot’s move to the BJP follows a trend, with AAP leaders such as Raaj Kumar Anand and Rajendra Pal Gautam also resigning from AAP and joining the BJP earlier this year.
Gahlot, a Jat leader from Najafgarh, had become a prominent figure in Delhi’s political landscape, representing the constituency in the Delhi assembly. His resignation comes amid growing tensions within AAP, including a public dispute over flag hoisting on Independence Day and the controversy surrounding renovations at the Delhi Chief Minister’s official residence, known as Sheeshmahal.
The BJP welcomed Gahlot’s resignation, calling it a brave step, and claimed that it reinforced the party’s allegations against the Delhi government. In contrast, AAP accused central agencies, including the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate, of pressuring Gahlot to join the BJP.
Sources By Agencies
