7 AAP MLAs quit ahead of Delhi elections
What's the story
In a major development, seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs have resigned from the party just days ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.
They are; Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli), Bhupinder Singh Joon (Bijwasan), Pawan Kumar Sharma (Adarsh Nagar), Rohit Mehraulia (Trilokpuri), Madan Lal, Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri), and Bhavna Gaur.
All of them had been denied tickets to contest in the upcoming elections.
Resignation letters
'Lost faith in you...': AAP MLAs to Kejriwal
Palam MLA Gaur and Kasturba Nagar legislator Lal cited loss of faith in party chief Arvind Kejriwal and the party as their reasons for quitting.
In their resignation letters, both Gaur and Lal wrote, "I hereby resign from the primary membership of Aam Aadmi Party as I have lost faith in you and the party. Please accept the same."
Reason
AAP become entangled in the swamp of corruption: MLA
Meanwhile, in his resignation letter, Mehrauli MLA Yadav stated that the AAP has abandoned its core concept of "honest politics."
He claimed that instead of achieving its promise to eradicate corruption, the party had "become entangled in the swamp of corruption itself," referring to the Delhi liquor policy case, in which Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia were imprisoned for several months.
For 10 years, he represented south Delhi's Mehrauli seat.
Candidate announcement
AAP's candidates
As per the AAP's candidates' list, Mukesh Goel will contest from Adarsh Nagar, Pravin Kumar from Janakpuri, Surendra Bhardwaj from Bijwasan, Joginder Solanki from Palam, Ramesh Pehlwan from Kasturba Nagar, Naresh Yadav from Mehrauli, and Anjana Parcha from Trilokpuri.
Delhi will go to the polls on February 5, and vote counting will take place on February 8.