In a significant blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 15 municipal councillors in Delhi have resigned and announced the formation of a new political outfit, the Indraprastha Vikas Party.
The move is being led by Mukesh Goel, who previously served as Leader of the House in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for AAP.
The announcement was made on Saturday, with Goel and the other rebel councillors stating their decision to break away from AAP and establish a separate political platform. Goel, a seasoned politician who has served as a municipal councillor for over 25 years, had earlier joined AAP from the Congress in 2021.
Goel had contested the Delhi Assembly elections in February this year on an AAP ticket from Adarsh Nagar but was defeated.
The decision to form a new party comes shortly after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regained control of the MCD following a recent victory in the civic body elections. The AAP had boycotted the MCD polls.
The departure of 13 councillors marks yet another setback for AAP, which has been dealing with mounting internal challenges since its poor performance in the recent Delhi Assembly elections, where it was routed by the BJP.
In an attempt to manage dissent and reinvigorate its organisational structure, AAP implemented a leadership reshuffle in March. Former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj was appointed president of the party’s Delhi unit, replacing Atishi.
AAP councillors who resigned today.
1.) Hemchand Goel
2.) Himani Jain
3.) Runakshi Sharma
4.) Usha Sharma
5.) Ashok Pandey
6.) Rakhi Yadav
7.) Sahib Kumar
8.) Rakesh Kumar Ladi
9.) Manisha
10.) Sumali Anil Rana
11.) Dinesh
12.) Mukesh Kumar Goel
13.) Devinder Kumar
14.) Leena Kumar
15.) Kamal Bhardwaj
Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, currently out on bail in a corruption case, was made in-charge of Punjab, a state that heads to the polls in two years.
Meanwhile, Gopal Rai has been given charge of AAP’s affairs in Gujarat, and national general secretary Sandeep Pathak has been named special in-charge for Chhattisgarh.
The formation of the Indraprastha Vikas Party further highlights the deepening rift within AAP's Delhi unit and raises questions about the party’s ability to maintain cohesion as it prepares for key electoral battles ahead.
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