7 AAP MLAs resign just 5 days before Delhi elections, Kejriwal faces major setback

In a significant development ahead of the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, seven sitting MLAs from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) resigned on Friday, citing various grievances. The MLAs who stepped down are Naresh Yadav from Mehrauli, Bhawna Gaur from Palam, Rajesh Rishi from Janakpuri, Madan Lal from Kasturba Nagar, Rohit Kumar Mehraulia from Trilokpuri, Bhupinder Singh Joon from Bijwasan, and Pawan Kumar Sharma from Adarsh Nagar. These resignations have come just days before the February 5 elections, with the voting to be followed by vote counting on February 8.

Naresh Yadav, who had represented Mehrauli for two consecutive terms in 2015 and 2020, was replaced by Mahender Chaudhary as the party's candidate for the 2025 elections. Yadav had initially been included in the party’s list but was dropped after his conviction in a 2016 Quran desecration case. Yadav resigned from AAP, claiming that the party had strayed from its founding principles of honest governance and had become involved in corruption. He further stated that the party’s actions had made it difficult for him to continue as a member.

Bhawna Gaur, a two-time MLA from Palam, also resigned, citing a loss of faith in the party and its leadership. In her resignation letter, she expressed her disappointment in Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP leadership, stating that she no longer believed in the party's principles. Gaur had won the Palam seat in 2015 and 2020 under the AAP banner.

Rajesh Rishi, a three-term MLA from Janakpuri, echoed similar sentiments in his resignation letter. He accused the party of abandoning its core values of transparency and corruption-free governance, alleging that the party had become entangled in nepotism and corruption. Rishi had represented Janakpuri in 2015 and 2020, securing consecutive victories in both elections.

Madan Lal, a three-time MLA from Kasturba Nagar, resigned after not being nominated as the AAP candidate for the 2025 elections. Lal had served as MLA for the constituency since 2013 and had been re-elected in 2015 and 2020. His resignation came amid growing discontent over the AAP's decision to field new candidates instead of giving incumbent MLAs the opportunity to contest again.

Rohit Kumar Mehraulia, who represented Trilokpuri for the first time in 2020, also resigned. He had joined AAP during the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement and had been vocal about the party’s failure to address issues affecting Dalit and Valmiki communities. In his resignation, Mehraulia expressed his disappointment with the AAP leadership's failure to fulfill promises made to these communities, such as scrapping contract-based labor and securing permanent positions for temporary workers.

Bhupinder Singh Joon, who had won the Bijwasan seat in 2020, and Pawan Kumar Sharma, who represented Adarsh Nagar in the 2015 and 2020 elections, also resigned from the party. Both MLAs cited similar reasons for their resignation, including dissatisfaction with the leadership and the party's direction.

The resignation of these seven MLAs, just days before the Delhi Assembly elections, creates a significant challenge for AAP, especially in constituencies where these MLAs had strong support bases. The party had replaced them with new candidates in the 2025 elections, including Mukesh Goel for Adarsh Nagar, Pravin Kumar for Janakpuri, Surendra Bhardwaj for Bijwasan, Joginder Solanki for Palam, Ramesh Pehlwan for Kasturba Nagar, Naresh Yadav for Mehrauli, and Anjana Parcha for Trilokpuri.

AAP has yet to issue an official response regarding the mass resignation. However, the timing of these resignations, just days before voting, is likely to impact the party’s performance in key constituencies. The Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 5, with the results expected to be declared on February 8.