Ajay Kothiyal resigns from Aam Aadmi Party citing 'sentiment of ex-servicemen'

In a major development, Col. Ajay Kothiyal (retired) tendered his resignation from the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday. AAP's Chief Ministerial face for the 2022 assembly elections in Uttarakhand, Col Kothiyal announced his decision to resign from the party on the microblogging site, Twitter.

Col. Ajay Kothiyal resigns from AAP

On his official handle, Col. Kothiyal shared his resignation letter addressed to party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. The letter written in Hindi roughly read, "I have been a member of the Aam Aadmi Party from April 19, 2021, to May 18, 2022. Keeping in mind the sentiments of ex-servicemen, ex-paramilitary, elderly, women, youth and intellectuals, I am today i.e., on May 18, 2021, sending my letter of resignation from the party membership." 

The development comes days after reports claimed that Col. Kothiyal was unhappy after being completely sidelined by the party in the rejigging of Uttarakhand post the party's poll debacle in the hilly state.  He was even absent at the recent state event that took place in the national capital, in which Deepak Bali was chosen as AAP Uttarakhand's president.

Col Kothiyal's stint with AAP 

The former principal of Uttarkashi-based Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Kothiyal has been hailed for his rescue and rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy. Running an organization that trains the locals to join the Armed Forces, he joined the Arvind Kejriwal-led party on April 19 this year. "Col. Ajay Kothiyal is the person who has got more than 10,000 youth recruited in the army. He knows how to provide employment, and the future of Uttarakhand will be safe and golden in his hands. The party will develop the State as a spiritual capital for Indians staying across the world," Kejriwal had said, while announcing his name as the party's CM face. 

Ahead of the elections, Col. Kothiyal and Kejriwal had appeared for an interview with Republic. During the exclusive, Col. Kothiyal had said that he wanted to side with a party that had proved itself elsewhere on the issues that Uttarakhand faces, and therefore, decided to join AAP, rejecting BJP's offer.

Contrary to its clean sweep in Punjab, AAP under the leadership of Kejriwal, failed to capture the imagination of the people of Uttarakhand. The party failed to open its account, with its CM face Col Kothiyak also losing from the Gangotri assembly seat. Kothiyal finished as a distant third securing 6,161 votes, with BJP's Suresh Singh Chauhan and Congress' Vijaypal Sajwan securing the first two spots.