In a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the 2025 Assembly polls, former Delhi minister and its MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam resigned from the party and joined the Congress here on Friday.

Gautam who severed ties with the AAP after his years of association, joined the Congress at the party headquarters, in presence of Congress general secretary in-charge of Organisation KC Venugopal, party’s Chairman of media and publicity department Pawan Khera and Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav.

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Notably, the latest development comes amid ongoing talks of alliance between the AAP and Congress for the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana.

Welcoming him to the party, Venugopal said, “It is a very proud moment for us. Rajendra Pal Gautam is one of the important figures in the country’s political spectrum. He has now decided to join the Indian National Congress. We are very happy to receive his letter urging us to take him to the party.”

The Congress general secretary in-charge of Organisation said, “The reason which he is indicating to join the Congress is giving more happiness to us because whatever ideology he is believing in his life, now he is seeing that Indian National Congress is doing that ideological work.”

Referring to the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra held by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he said, “Through Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, our leader Rahul Gandhi had given a new narrative to the country. Attracting to that activities of Indian National Congress and president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, he decided to work with the Indian National Congress. We are very happy to induct him in the Indian National Congress.”

Speaking on the occasion, Gautam in a veiled attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre, said, “In the last 10 years, frenzy has increased in the country and Dalits are being harassed. In such a situation, during the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Rahul Gandhi gave the slogan ‘nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukaan’ (shop of love in the market of hatred) .”

Heaping praise on Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, the former Delhi minister said, “He (Gandhi) said that there should be social justice in the country. Inspired by the thoughts of Rahul Gandhi ji, I am joining the Congress party today.”

Assembly elections to 70-member Delhi Assembly are likely to be held early next year.