Ashish Khaitan Resigns From AAP, Second Top Kejriwal Aide To Desert Party After Ashutosh

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s New Delhi chapter is in news once again after former journalist Ashish Khetan's resignation from the party. According to a report in Amar Ujala, Khaitan had sent his resignation to Arvind Kejriwal on 15 August. The report adds that according to sources, Khetan wanted to contest Lok Sabha polls from the New Delhi once more.

The AAP leader Khetan had earlier lost to senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Meenakshi Lekhi in 2014. They fought on the New Delhi seat.

Earlier this year, Khetan had resigned as the vice president of Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC). "I have resigned as VC, DDC, with effect from 16 April. During the past three years I had a unique opportunity to shape public policy & bring about reform and change in governance. I am grateful to Arvind Kejriwal, the Hon'ble CM, for giving me this wonderful opportunity," Khetan tweeted, according to this report.

Khetan and his friends in AAP have said that he had resigned from Delhi Dialogue Commission, and now the party, for "personal reasons". However, according to this report, political undercurrents in the party's Delhi chapter could be the reason for his move. And that AAP, hoping to not upset Punjabi voters in New Delhi, is taking careful steps towards choosing the most suitable candidate for the contest.

The same report says that AAP wanted a fresh face for the New Delhi seat and there were talks about pitching senior advocate Rahul Mehra. It says that after Mehra's refusal to jump into the poll fray for personal reasons, which was followed by another senior leader's desire to contest from South Delhi instead of New Delhi, the party is now looking at the possibility of finding a suitable Punjabi candidate.

In an interview with CNN-News18 in April, after making an exit from the Delhi advisory body, Khetan said, "There are caste-based political parties, who represent a specific caste and hold their interest paramount to the interest of another community. That is caste politics. There are regional parties, which are entirely based on the politics of regional identity which is that they champion: regional interest above all other interests. There are communal parties, which espouse the interest on one community over the interest of other communities and rights of all other communities. If there is one party in the country which is not doing this kind of politics, it is AAP."

In an article on the resignation of another AAP senior party leader Ashutosh, also a former journalist, for "personal reasons", The New Indian Express wrote, "The churning in Delhi comes even as the party has virtually split in Punjab, where several MLAs have decided not to follow the direction of the central leadership."

In the interview with with CNN-News18, Khetan had said that he was open to working with Prashant Bushan, another former AAP leader. He said in the interview, "I am open to working with Prashant ji. I have great regards for him and as and when there is any public cause or any legal case we can collaborate. I would certainly like to do that."