Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal today refused to take a question on Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot’s shock resignation. At a press meet to welcome former BJP MLA Anil Jha into AAP, Mr Kejriwal was asked about Mr Gahlot’s surprise exit. The former Chief Minister promptly turned the microphone towards senior party leader Durgesh Pathak, seated next to him. When the reporter insisted for his response, Mr Kejriwal said with a smile, “You want an answer, right?” before Mr Pathak began speaking. In fact, the former Chief Minister spoke soon after, criticised the BJP but did not mention Mr Gahlot’s exit.   

Mr Pathak said Kailash Gehlot was being questioned and raided by ED and Income Tax for months. “So he did not have a choice. But this makes it clear that BJP has lost the Delhi election. They have no issue, they are fighting on the basis of ED, CBI and Income Tax and we are fighting on people’s issues,” he said.

Earlier, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said Mr Gahlot’s resignation is a part of BJP’s “dirty politics”. “Kailash Gahlot was being pressured through ED-CBI raids and he is speaking as per the BJP’s script. The Modi Washing Machine has been activated ahead of Delhi elections. Now many leaders will be taken into BJP through this,” he said in a video shared by the AAP’s handle on X.

Opposition parties frequently use the ‘Washing Machine’ reference to accuse the BJP of forcing Opposition leaders to switch over by threatening them with investigation by central agencies. Opposition parties allege that any action against such leaders is paused as soon as they join BJP.

The AAP’s response came about an hour after Mr Gahlot posted his resignation letter on his X handle. The senior leader, who was in charge of key portfolios such as Home and Transport, pointed to grave challenges within AAP in the letter addressed to Mr Kejriwal.

“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,” he wrote.

In an apparent swipe at Mr Kejriwal, he has referred to “many embarrassing and awkward controversies” like “Sheeshmahal” — a term used by the BJP to refer to the Chief Minister’s residence renovated during Mr Kejriwal’s term. Mr Gahlot has said such controversies “are now making everyone doubt whether we still believe in being the Aam Aadmi”.

Mr Gahlot said AAP has been “fighting for own political agenda” and this has “severely crippled our ability to even deliver basic services to the people of Delhi”. “It is now obvious that real progress for Delhi cannot happen if the Delhi Government spends majority of its time fighting with the Centre,” he has said.

“I had started my political journey with the commitment to serve the people of Delhi and I want to continue doing that. Which is why, I fed myself left with no option but to step away from AAP and hence I resign from primary membership of Aam Aadmi Party. I wish you the best for your health and future,” he has written before signing off.

A lawyer, Mr Gahlot represents the Nazafgarh Assembly constituency. He has been a cabinet minister since 2015. Following former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s arrest in a corruption case last year, he had also handled the important finance portfolio.

The BJP was quick to respond to Mr Gahlot’s announcement. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Mr Gahlot has detailed how “Aam Aadmi Party has become Khaas (special) Aadmi Party”. “They have broken all promises they made to people. AAP has become Arvind Aadmi Party. Their leader has exposed them.”

Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva said Mr Gahlot had taken a “bold step”. “I congratulate him. This proves that even people in Arvind Kejriwal’s party believe that he has misused Delhi taxpayers’ money for Sheeshmahal. No honest person who loves Delhi will work with the robbers’ gang led by Arvind Kejriwal,” he said. Mr Sachdeva added that the party will welcome Mr Gahlot if he wants to join BJP.