Thirteen AAP Councillors Resign, Form New Political Faction in Delhi
Mumbai: In a significant political shake-up, thirteen municipal councillors have resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, forming a new faction named the Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP) under the leadership of veteran politician Mukesh Goel. The move deals a considerable blow to AAP’s influence in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) at a time when the party is already grappling with internal divisions and electoral setbacks.
The councillors who have parted ways with AAP include Mukesh Goel, Hemchand Goyal, Dinesh Bhardwaj, Himani Jain, Usha Sharma, Sahib Kumar, Rakhi Kumar, Ashok Pandey, Rajesh Kumar, Anil Rana, and Devendra Kumar. Many of them previously held positions in the Congress Party before joining AAP ahead of the last MCD elections, reflecting the fluid political loyalties within Delhi’s local governance.
Reasons Behind the Split
The breakaway leaders cited a lack of support and resources from AAP’s senior leadership as a primary reason for their exit. Ashok Pandey, corporator of Ward 109, explained to PTI, “We came here to work for the development of our ward. The work is not happening. We were in Aam Aadmi Party for 2.5 years, our main issue was that our colony was unauthorised. So, people were facing issues of garbage and drainage… We didn’t get funds from the party to work. We tried to talk to AAP’s senior leadership but there was no action.”
Himani Jain, another prominent defector, expressed similar frustration, stating, “In the last 2.5 years, no work was done in the corporation. We were in power, yet we did nothing. We have formed a new party because our ideology is to work for the development of Delhi. We shall support the party which will work for the development of Delhi. So far, 15 councillors have resigned. More may join.”
Leadership Void and Internal Strife
The formation of the IVP comes just months after AAP’s disappointing performance in the Delhi Assembly elections and its decision to boycott the MCD polls, which allowed the BJP to reclaim control of the civic body. The internal strife has been compounded by recent leadership changes, including the appointment of Saurabh Bharadwaj as the new president of AAP’s Delhi unit in March. Despite these moves, the party has struggled to retain its base amid growing dissatisfaction among its local leaders.
Mukesh Goel, a 25-year political veteran and former Leader of the House in the MCD, now leads the newly formed IVP. Goel, who joined AAP from Congress in 2021, had contested the 2024 Delhi Assembly elections from Adarsh Nagar but lost, adding to the list of setbacks faced by the party.
Potential for Further Defections
This is not the first time AAP has faced a wave of defections. Just three months ago, three councillors—Anita Basoya (Andrews Ganj), Nikhil Chaprana (Hari Nagar), and Dharamvir (R K Puram)—switched allegiance to the BJP, signaling a deeper crisis within the party’s municipal ranks.
With the formation of the Indraprastha Vikas Party, AAP now faces a challenging road ahead, as more councillors are expected to follow suit, potentially reshaping the political landscape in Delhi ahead of future municipal and state elections.
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