Amid AAP-Congress alliance talks in Haryana ahead of the Assembly polls, former Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam resigned from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the Congress on Friday.
Pal joined the grand-old party in the presence of party’s general secretary KC Venugopal, Delhi chief Devender Yadav and Congress leader Pawan Khera.
On AAP leader joining Congress, party’s Delhi chief Devender Yadav told ANI, “I am happy that Rajendra Pal Gautam who was involved in the fight for social justice has joined Congress today. I welcome the 2-time MLA and the former minister (in Delhi Govt). With his arrival, our fight for social justice will under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi will gain strength…”
He further said, “In Delhi, we have always worked on the ground. We have strengthened ourselves. Several people from the BJP and AAP are joining us…Our alliance was on the national level, I see no such possibilities in Delhi.”
Delhi will go to the Assembly Elections in 2025. Discussion on the alliance between AAP-Congress is expected to be held after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal walks out of jail, Manish Sisodia had earlier said.
In his resignation letter addressed to Arvind Kejriwal, Rajendra Gautam Pal accused AAP of ignoring the Dalit interests under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ideology.
“…to accelerate the struggle for social justice and participation and involvement of Bahujan Samaj in all fields, I am resigning from all the posts and membership of Aam Aadmi Party. Jai Bheem!” Gautam said in a post on X.
He also posted his three-page resignation letter.
Gautam is the third senior leader to leave AAP after Raaj Kumar Anand and Kartar Singh Tanwar ahead of the assembly polls due early next year.