• Source:JND

AAP MPs Quit: Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will turn 14 on November 26 this year. When it stemmed from the anti-corruption movement around 14 years ago, prominent AAP founders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, Kumar Biswas, Shanti Bhushan, and a number of young professionals, created a huge hype, promising an alternative and positive politics.

However, in the last 14 years, several prominent leaders, including founders, deserted the party, alleging it does not allign to its ideologies.

7 AAP MPs, Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney and Swati Maliwal's departure reminded AAP's long history of losing prominent leaders.

Why Did Top AAP Founders Leave The Party In Early Days?

The story of Exodus started months after the party floated. Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, two strong pillars of the party, were expelled in 2015 for alleged anti-party activities. The duo questioned the internal democracy and alleged autocracy of Kejriwal.

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Shazia Ilmi ( quit in 2014), senior journalist Ashutosh (2018), popular poet Kumar Vishwas (2018), and Kailash Gahlot (2024), several close aides of Kejriwal left him. The list of leaders is long. Kejriwal's team of 2012 was totally different from that of today.

Why Did One After Another Leutenants Of Kejriwal Break Up With Him?

AAP, under Kejriwal's leadership, faced several allegations, including a lack of decentralisation. Several AAP rebels alleged that Kejriwal's way of functioning is autocratic. He is the national convenor, the top post in AAP since the commencement of the party. Prashant Bhushan alleged in 2015 that the AAP was running like a Khaap (panchayat), tearing into party leader Kejriwal.

Yogendra Yadav alleged that Kejriwal sold out the soul of the anti-corruption movement for joining hands with JD-U’s Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad in Bihar in 2016.

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Gahlot, who joined the BJP ahead of the Delhi elections in 2024, alleged that his party had not fulfilled poll promises in Delhi. He also slammed Kejriwal over the "Sheeshmahal" row, the controversy around the Chief Minister's residence renovated during AAP rule in Delhi.

Swati Maliwal, who was reportedly assaulted by Bibhav Kumar, a close aide to Kejriwal, at the CM's residence in May 2024, alleged that Kejriwal has protected the accused, abandoning the party's core values.

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AAP's public image was also damaged due to the alleged liquor scam case, due to which Kejriwal, Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and other party leaders were jailed and are now out on bail. The AAP faces a serious allegation of corruption by the BJP and its ally, Congress. The saffron party questioned whether it is the same party that emerged from the anti-corruption movement.

(With Agencies inputs)


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