A day after quitting the Aam Aadmi Party and resigning from his post as a Delhi government minister, Kailash Gahlot has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In his resignation letter, Gahlot stated that AAP faces "grave challenges from within the party".
A day after quitting the Aam Aadmi Party and resigning from his post as a Delhi government minister, Kailash Gahlot has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The transport minister announced his resignation and decision to quit AAP on Sunday. Following this resignation, Gahlot received support from various BJP leaders who lauded him for "showing the mirror" to Arvind Kejriwal and the party.
In his resignation letter, Gahlot stated that AAP faces "grave challenges from within the party".
"Political ambitions have overtaken our commitment towards people, leaving many promises unfulfilled. Take for example the Yamuna, which we had promised to transform into a clean river, but never got around to doing it. Now the Yamuna River is perhaps even more polluted than ever before," said Gahlot in his resignation letter.
Amid the rumours on Sunday, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal commented on Gahlot's resignation and stated that the former Delhi minister "is free to go wherever he wants".
Addressing the switch, Gahlot stated that leaving AAP was " not an easy step". "I was a part of the AAP since the time of Anna Hazare (the anti-corruption activist whose popular movement birthed the AAP) and have worked for Delhi throughout... as MLA and minister," he former Delhi minister said in his first comments after joining the BJP.
"Some may think this is an overnight decision... or due to pressure. But I want to tell them I haven't ever taken any decision due to pressure," he told reporters.
Gahlot's resignation comes as a huge setback for the AAP-led Delhi government. With Arvind Kejriwal's resignation, the national capital territory is slated for early elections.
During the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP swept the union territory and won all seven Delhi seats, defeating all AAP candidates. With assembly elections just around the corner, Gahlot resignation and transfer to the BJP comes as a setback.
The Delhi assembly elections are set to be held on or before February 2025. The final date will be announced soon by the Election Commission of India.