Thu Nov 21 10:35:46 UTC 2024: ## Delhi Cabinet Minister Kailash Gahlot Joins BJP

**NEW DELHI:** Kailash Gahlot, a former Cabinet Minister in the Delhi government and a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday. His defection comes just 24 hours after he resigned from his ministerial post and the AAP. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva formally inducted Gahlot into the party in the presence of Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Gahlot’s resignation followed months of alleged tension within the AAP, culminating in a dispute over who would hoist the national flag on Independence Day. While Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal favored Atishi, the Lieutenant Governor chose Gahlot.

Reacting to the defection, Kejriwal stated that Gahlot was free to make his own decisions. However, AAP leader Sanjay Singh accused the BJP of using a “Modi washing machine” to attract AAP leaders ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. He alleged that the BJP is attempting to win the elections using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Deputy Chief Minister Atishi termed Gahlot’s move a “dirty conspiracy” by the BJP.

In his resignation letter to Kejriwal on Sunday, Gahlot criticized the AAP for wasting time fighting the central government and failing to fulfill its promises to the people. Gahlot was also reportedly considered for the Chief Minister’s post after Kejriwal’s brief resignation following his release from jail, before Atishi was ultimately appointed.

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