‘Lost faith in you’: 7 AAP MLAs resign over 'corruption' and Kejriwal’s leadership ahead of Delhi elections 2025

Seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs have resigned just five days before the Delhi elections, after being denied tickets to contest again. The resigning MLAs are Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli), Rohit Kumar (Trilokpuri), Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri), Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar), Pawan Sharma (Adarsh Nagar), and Bhawna Goud (Palam). BS Joon (Bijwasan) was the first AAP MLA to submit his resignation.

In her resignation letter, Bhawna Goud from Palam expressed her disappointment with party chief Arvind Kejriwal, stating, "I have lost faith in you." The MLAs were unhappy after being denied tickets for the February 5 elections and had been in talks with other political parties, as per a PTI report.

The MLAs who resigned are:

• Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli)
• Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri)
• Madanlal (Kasturba Nagar)
• Bhawna Gaur (Palam)
• Rohit Kumar (Trilokpuri)
• BS Joon (Bijwasan)
• Pawan Sharma (Adarsh Nagar)

Madan Lal, the outgoing MLA from Kasturba Nagar, on January 31 claimed that he and the other six MLAs had resigned from AAP’s primary membership. They also sent their resignation letters to Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.

Naresh Yadav, the Mehrauli MLA, mentioned that his resignation was prompted by the "growing corruption" within the party. Yadav in his resignation letter said the AAP abandoned its founding principle of "honest politics." He alleged the party, instead of fulfilling its pledge to reduce corruption, had "become entangled in the swamp of corruption itself".

In his resignation letter, Janakpuri's Rajesh Rishi criticised the party for betraying the principles of corruption-free governance and transparency it was founded on.

All of these MLAs were not granted tickets to contest the 2025 Assembly elections, as the party chose to field new candidates in these constituencies.

Voting for the 70-seat Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 5 and the counting of votes will be held on February 8.