Former Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot joins BJP, a day after quitting Aam Aadmi Party

Former Delhi government minister, Kailash Gahlot joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on November 18, Monday – months ahead of assembly polls in the national capital. Gahlot resigned from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Chief Minister Atishi-led government on Sunday. 

Gahlot joined the BJP, in the presence of Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and other BJP leaders including Jay Panda in Delhi.  Gahlot, a two-time MLA from Najafgarh seat, was a senior minister in the Delhi government before resigning.

Gahlot's resignation from AAP signals deeper rifts within the Arvind Kejriwal-led party ahead of crucial assembly polls scheduled early in 2025.

Gahlot, the Transport minister in the Atishi-led AAP government, is the second serving minister to quit Arvind Kejriwal-led party and government this year. On April 10, social welfare minister Raaj Kumar Anandresigned.

Speculation about Gahlot's rift with the party were rife for quite some time now. He did not take part in party's campaign in recently-held Haryana elections.

In his resignation letter, Gahlot cited "dwindling credibility" of AAP on the issue of cleaning of Yamuna and 'Sheeshmahal' - a term used by the BJP for the chief minister's renovated residence as reasons for his resignation.

The ‘Washing Machine’ Jibe

Kejriwal commented on Gahlot's resignation on Monday“He is free, he can go wherever he wants," the AAP chief said during a press briefing where Congress leader and former MLA Sumesh Shokeen joined the the party.

AAP took 'Modi Washing Machine' jibe at the opposition BJP over Gahlot's switch.

“Kailash Gahlot's resignation is a part of BJP's dirty politics and controversy. Kailash Gahlot was being pressured through ED-CBI raids and he is speaking as per the BJP's script. The ModiWashing Machinehas been activated ahead of Delhi elections. Now many leaders will be taken into BJP through this,” AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said after Gahlot's resignation on Sunday.

Elections to the 70-member Delhi assembly are due in February 2025. AAP won the assembly polls in 2020 and 2015.

"Some people must be thinking that this decision was taken overnight and under someone's pressure. I want to tell them that I have never done anything under anyone's pressure till date...I am hearing that an attempt is being made to build a narrative that it was done under the pressure of ED and CBI but all this is wrong..." Gahlot said after joining the BJP

Arvind Kejriwal stepped down as chief minister of Delhi after coming out of jail on bail in September this year. Kejriwal's confidant, Atishi – nominated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators to succeed Kejriwal, – took oath as Chief Minister later.