Aam Aadmi Party's Longest Serving Leader Kailash Gahlot Quits, Leaving Behind A Web Of Speculations and Sour Tastes

In a shocking turn of events, Kailash Gahlot, the longest serving leader in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on Sunday parted ways with his party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, it appears that Gahlot's decision was not taken on a whim but rather after facing immense pressure from central agencies.

According to sources, Gahlot had been expecting a better position and power after the top leadership of AAP went to jail and a reshuffle took place in the party. Despite being given several ministries following the resignation of Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, and Arvind Kejriwal, he was left with only law, justice, and legislative affairs, and revenue portfolios.

Gahlot's tenure as cabinet minister comes to an end after a series of significant decisions were made last year. Atishi, the "newcomer" from 2020, was given the top spot as chief minister, a position that left many AAP leaders fuming, whereas Gahlot was passed over for this role.

Furthermore, despite making efforts to address disputes and promote a sense of unity among party members, internal tensions persisted. The promotion of Atishi has led to widespread dissatisfaction, with several senior AAP leaders feeling "sidelined".

AAP insiders suggest that there's an undercurrent of discontent among some AAP members due to their lack of representation in decision-making councils, while others claim the party is being increasingly run from above by Atishi.

Sources close to Gahlot reveal he faced intense pressure over alleged tax evasion cases and other controversies in 2018 before joining AAP in the first place. He managed to build a relatively low-Key reputation as a calm leader with a strong backroom network inside the government during his tenure, which seems now has been discarded by Atishi.

The question now remains: what was Gahlot's real decision? The outcome ultimately depends on how he sees his own career move and will decide whether he stays loyal to AAP or joins the main nationalist party from where it all started. This is a highly anticipated event in Delhi's political arena, with several key implications for the future of the Aam Aadmi Party.

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