In a significant political upheaval within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), 13 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors have resigned from the party to establish a new political entity, the Indraprastha Vikas Party. The breakaway group cited hindrance in development work, internal conflicts, and a lack of responsiveness from the AAP leadership as the primary reasons for their departure.
Senior councillor Mukesh Goyal, who has been named as the president of the newly formed party, expressed profound dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. “For two and a half years, since we were elected, no meaningful development work has taken place,” Goyal told PTI. “The party was consumed by internal disputes and a culture of blame-shifting. We consistently voiced our concerns to the leadership, but our pleas fell on deaf ears.”
Goyal further alleged that elected councillors were denied budgets necessary to execute developmental projects in their respective wards. “We are determined to prioritise tangible work for the people of Delhi,” he emphasised. “We aim to ensure the smooth functioning of the House and the effective implementation of policies for the public good.” He clarified that the formation of the Indraprastha Vikas Party was solely focused on MCD matters.
The new party will be spearheaded by veteran municipal figure Hemchand Goyal and includes prominent former AAP councillors such as Dinesh Bharadwaj, Himani Jain, Usha Sharma, Sahib Kumar, Rakhi Kumar, Ashok Pandey, Rajesh Kumar, and Anil Rana.
The significant development comes as a major setback for the AAP in the MCD. Notably, the anti-defection law, which restricts elected representatives from switching parties, does not apply to municipal bodies, including the MCD, allowing for this kind of political manoeuvre.
(With PTI Inputs)