BJP mounts pressure on Arvind Kejriwal after Kailash Gahlot quits AAP

New Delhi [India], November 17 : The resignation of the Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot has become the latest flashpoint between the BJP and the ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP). He also resigned from the AAP.
The BJP leaders mounted their attack on the AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal following the resignation the Kailash Gahlot.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed that Kailash Gahlot had to take this step as the BJP put an allegation of Rs 112 crores on him and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted several raids on his home in the last few days.
"Kailash Gahlot's resignation is a part of the BJP's dirty politics and conspiracy. The BJP government conducted ED raids on him. Income tax raids were conducted at his residence for several days. BJP put an allegation of Rs 112 crores on him. Pressure was created on him, due to which Kailash Gahlot had to take this step. He did not have any option other than joining the BJP," Sanjay Singh said.
AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said that there were several cases of ED and CBI on Kailash Gahlot and his family. So, he thought it was better to join the BJP rather than go to jail.
"Elections are underway, and the conspiracies of the BJP have started. ED and CBI have been activated. There were several cases of ED and CBI on Kailash Gahlot and his family. So, he thought it was better to join the BJP rather than go to jail. You can see his social media posts; he was working for AAP even 14-15 hours ago. The struggle in jail is tough, so he decided to join the BJP," Priyanka Kakkar stated.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Vijender Gupta claimed that the ruling Aam Admi Party is "falling apart".
"Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot's resignation proves to be the last nail in the coffin of Aam Aadmi Party. This party is falling apart. This party has strayed from the objective with which it was formed. Whatever Kailash Gahlot has written in his letter, the people of Delhi are feeling it very closely, due to corruption and the chaotic system of Delhi...I would say that Aam Aadmi Party has no answer as to why its people are leaving...," Vijendra Gupta told ANI.
Reacting to the resignation of Kailash Gahlot, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that the former has shown the mirror to Arvind Kejriwal."Kailash Gahlot has shown the mirror to Arvind Kejriwal and told him that he does not want to be a part of Arvind Kejriwal and his 'lootera' gang. Kailash Gahlot has taken a very courageous step, and we appreciate this".
BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla came down heavily on Arvind Kejriwal and said, "Today the political conversion of the Aam Aadmi Party into 'Khaas Kejriwal Party' is once again evidenced when a senior leader of their party, Kailash Gahlot has written a long letter and resigned from the party's primary membership. It shows how the party has transformed and transmutated from Anna's (Anna Hazare) leadership and stewardship to Lalu's leadership. From fighting corruption to doing corruption, from 'Swaraj' to 'Sharab'. No wonder many founding members and senior leaders have left (AAP) one by one. And now Kailash Gahlot has done that. He has also spoken about how promises were broken and they (AAP members) have forgotten their principles..."
Earlier today, Kailash Gahlot resigned from AAP, citing deep concerns over the party's direction and internal challenges, saying that the political ambitions within the party have overshadowed its core commitment to serving the people.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has accepted Kailash Gahlot's resignation which came ahead of the assembly polls in the National Capital in 2025.
Notably, Gahlot, in his resignation letter, criticised the shift in the party's focus from advocating for the rights of the people to advance its own political agenda, a shift he said has hindered AAP's ability to provide basic services to the residents of Delhi.
He highlighted the unfulfilled promise of cleaning the Yamuna River, which remains more polluted than ever, and expressed concern over controversies like the 'Sheeshmahal' issue, which, he said, have led people to question whether AAP still upholds its commitment to being a party of the "Aam Aadmi."
Kailash Gahlot also cited internal challenges and unfulfilled promises, including the failure to clean the Yamuna River. He criticized the party's shift from serving the people to prioritizing political ambitions, which he said has hindered basic service delivery in Delhi.