In a major shake-up within Delhi’s civic politics, 13 councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tendered their resignations on Saturday, announcing the formation of a new political outfit—Indraprastha Vikas Party. Citing internal dysfunction and halted development work in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the rebel leaders accused AAP of neglecting governance in favor of infighting.
The new party will be helmed by senior councillor Mukesh Goyal, who squarely blamed the AAP leadership for sidelining elected representatives. “In the last two and a half years since our election, zero development work has been executed. We raised our concerns repeatedly, but the leadership was too caught up in blame games,” Goyal told PTI. He also alleged that councillors were denied basic funds needed to serve their wards, leading to public frustration and administrative stagnation.
The group clarified that this political shift is focused on the municipal body alone and does not extend to state-level politics—for now. Goyal emphasized that their intent is to “restore purpose and functionality in the MCD,” ensuring policies are implemented for the welfare of Delhi’s residents.
The new faction includes known municipal figures like Hemchand Goyal, who will act as a senior leader in the party, along with former AAP councillors Dinesh Bharadwaj, Himani Jain, Usha Sharma, Sahib Kumar, Rakhi Kumar, Ashok Pandey, Rajesh Kumar, and Anil Rana.
Interestingly, the anti-defection law does not apply to municipal corporations like the MCD, making this move legally sound, though politically explosive. As of now, the Aam Aadmi Party has issued no official response to this significant defection—one that could signal deeper fractures within the party’s urban governance structure.
