New Delhi: In a major political setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) bypolls, six-time MLA Shoaib Iqbal has announced his resignation from the party, accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership of ignoring ground workers and betraying Delhi’s citizens.
The bypolls for 12 MCD wards are scheduled to take place on November 30, and AAP had recently announced its list of candidates. Soon after the announcement, Iqbal — who has represented Matia Mahal constituency six times — declared that he was quitting the party, expressing strong dissatisfaction with AAP’s internal decisions.
According to party sources, Iqbal was reportedly upset after his preferred candidate was denied a ticket from the Matia Mahal area. In his statement, he said, “I have resigned from all positions and primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party. The leadership has failed to stand by its promises and has not worked in the interest of Delhi’s public. I am disillusioned with their ideology and governance.”
“I have seen how their words do not match their actions. They have deviated from the principles they once preached,” Iqbal added, emphasizing that his resignation was final and irreversible.
यह भी पढ़ें: MCD Bypoll Shock: शोएब इकबाल का आम आदमी पार्टी से इस्तीफा, कहा—‘दिल्ली की जनता से किया वादा AAP ने तोड़ा’
Meanwhile, AAP issued a counter-statement claiming that it had decided to award tickets only to loyal party workers, not to “parachute candidates” from other political backgrounds. The party alleged that Shoaib Iqbal had unilaterally declared his brother-in-law, Kashif Qureshi, as the candidate without the party’s consent.
Iqbal’s departure, just weeks before the polls, is expected to hurt AAP’s electoral prospects in the Old Delhi region, particularly in the Matia Mahal ward, where he remains a significant political figure.
