- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: In a significant blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), fifteen municipal councillors in Delhi have resigned from the party and announced the creation of a new political entity called the Indraprastha Vikas Party.
Led by Hemchand Goel, the new faction features former prominent AAP leaders such as Mukesh Goel, Himani Jain, Devindra Kumar, Rajesh Kumar Ladi, Suman Anil Rana, Dinesh Bhardwaj, Runakshi Sharma, Manisha, Sahib Kumar, Rakhi Yadav, Usha Sharma, and Ashok Pandey, who are playing key roles in this rebellion.
Mukesh Goel’s departure is particularly noteworthy since he previously served as the Leader of the House for AAP in the Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD).
Goel stated that the group formed the new party because they were unable to carry out public work over the past couple of years due to constant disruptions and the dysfunctional functioning of the house. He also hinted that more councillors might join the new party. Although he contested the recent Delhi Assembly elections on an AAP ticket, he did not win.
The list of defectors includes 13 councillors; two were absent during the announcement and are not listed with signatures. The collective resignation letter criticized the party leadership, citing ineffective administration and poor internal coordination, which led to AAP’s decline into opposition in the municipal body.
They expressed their disappointment in failing to fulfill promises made to the public, stating that their inability to govern effectively prompted their resignations. This development marks yet another setback for AAP in the MCD, following previous defections where councillors joined the BJP.
Earlier, in February, three AAP councillors defected to the BJP—Anita Basoya, Nikhil Chaprana, and Dharmveer Singh—who became the largest opposition bloc in the MCD. Similar defections occurred in September last year, just before key elections. Recently, AAP withdrew from the mayoral race scheduled for April 25, which cleared the way for BJP to take control of the civic body.
