15 AAP councillors quit party, float new outfit, Indraprastha Vikas Party
The discontent brewing in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since its rout in Delhi Assembly elections finally spilled on Saturday, as 15 councillors resigned from the party’s primary membership and announced the formation of a new outfit, the Indraprastha Vikas Party.
The rebel leaders include Mukesh Goel, the leader of the house for AAP in the MCD, Himani Jain, and others. The councillors, under the leadership of Goel, announced a new party called Indraprastha Vikas Party.
“About 15 councillors have resigned from the primary membership of Aam Aadmi Party and formed a new party, Indraprastha Vikas Party. Despite being in power, we could not work for the service of the people of Delhi. We could not work due to internal conflicts,” Goel told the media.
#WATCH | Delhi | On his resignation from the AAP, party councillor Mukesh Goel says, “About 15 councillors have resigned from the primary membership of Aam Aadmi Party and formed a new party, Indraprastha Vikas Party. Despite being in power, we could not work for the service of… pic.twitter.com/un3D49WEXQ
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2025
The development comes days after the BJP reclaimed control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) following its win in the civic polls. AAP had boycotted the election after its loss in assembly polls.
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‘No work done in last 2.5 years’
Himani Jain also echoed the same point, stating that no work could be done in the MCD for the last two-and-a-half years.
“In the last 2.5 years, no work was done in the corporation that should have been done. 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 will support the party that will work for the development of Delhi. So far, 15 councillors have resigned. More may join,” she told the media.
#WATCH | Delhi | On her resignation from the AAP, party councillor Himani Jain says, “We have formed a new party, Indraprastha Vikas Party. We have resigned from AAP. In the last 2.5 years, no work was done in the corporation which should have been done. We were in power, yet we… pic.twitter.com/c1thjuALZU
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2025
Most of the rebel councillors had left Congress to join the Aam Aadmi Party before the last municipal elections. Goel himself had switched to AAP from Congress in 2021. He has served as a municipal councillor for 25 years.
Discontent simmering in AAP
The exodus of so many councillors from AAP points to a serious discontent in the party that was routed by the BJP in the assembly polls in February. AAP has been plagued by internal strife since the assembly poll results came in.
AAP had carried out an organisational shake-up in March to stem the discontent by appointing former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj as the new president of its Delhi unit. Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was appointed in charge of Punjab, where assembly elections are due in 2027.
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