November 18, 2024: In a dramatic political move, Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, just one day after resigning from both his position in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Delhi Cabinet. Gahlot’s resignation from AAP marked a significant blow to the party, as he was a key leader and held several important portfolios, including Home, Administrative Reforms, IT, and Women and Child Development.

In his resignation letter addressed to AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, the 50-year-old Gahlot expressed his growing disillusionment with the party's direction. He accused AAP of allowing its "political ambitions" to overshadow its commitment to serving the people. "Instead of fighting for people's rights, we have increasingly only been fighting for our own political agenda," Gahlot wrote, reflecting his frustration with what he sees as a shift away from the party's original ethos.

Gahlot, a prominent Jat leader in the party, also made pointed remarks about the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, specifically criticizing some of the controversies surrounding the party. He mentioned the infamous 'sheeshmahal' incident, calling it "awkward" and "embarrassing," and raised concerns over whether AAP still truly believed in the principles of being the "Aam Aadmi" (common man) party.

Gahlot's departure from AAP comes at a crucial juncture, as the party prepares for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 2025. His resignation marks the third high-profile exit from the Kejriwal Cabinet in recent months. In April 2024, Raaj Kumar Anand, who was responsible for Social Welfare, Labour, and Employment, resigned from AAP and joined the BJP. Anand's departure followed the resignation of Rajendra Pal Gautam, another AAP leader who quit both the party and the cabinet in November 2022.

By joining the BJP, Gahlot bolsters the opposition’s ranks ahead of the Delhi elections, potentially shaking up the political landscape in the national capital. His decision to align with the BJP underscores a growing trend of political defections ahead of the highly anticipated polls.