NEW DELHI: Former Delhi minister and Najafgarh MLA Kailash Gahlot, who resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday. Gahlot criticised his former party for straying from its founding principles, accusing it of diluting the values that initially attracted members to its cause.
Speaking to ANI about his decision, Gahlot said, “Dilution doesn’t happen overnight; it happens over a period of time. The values that drew me and many others to AAP have been compromised. I quit when I felt that the core ideologies of the party were no longer intact.”
Gahlot, who had been a prominent figure in AAP since its early days, pointed out that the party was formed through the collective efforts of millions who believed in its principles. “A party is never formed by just one individual. It is built when lakhs of people connect to a shared ideology. Unfortunately, I saw those ideologies and values being diluted over time,” he added.
The former minister also accused AAP of prioritising conflicts with the central government over governance. He said his departure was motivated by the realisation that the party had deviated from its original mission of ethical and transparent governance.
“There are many others who share my concerns but haven’t mustered the courage to leave. I hope my decision inspires them to act according to their conscience,” Gahlot said.
Gahlot officially joined the BJP at the party’s headquarters in the presence of senior leaders on Monday, including Union ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Harsh Malhotra, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, BJP vice president Baijayant Jay Panda, and national media head Anil Baluni.