Ajay Kothiyal, who was AAP's CM candidate in 2022 Uttarakhand assembly polls, quits Arvind Kejriwal's party

"Keeping the feelings of ex-soldiers, ex para-military personnel, the elders, women, youths and the intellectuals, I am sending you my resignation," the former army officer said in his letter addressed to Arvind Kejriwal.

File photo (Credits: AAP)

New Delhi: Colonel Ajay Kothiyal (retd), who was the Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial candidate in the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly elections on Wednesday (May 18, 2022) resigned from the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. The former army officer posted a soft copy of his resignation letter on Twitter.

"I have been a member of the Aam Aadmi Party from April 19, 2021, to May 18, 2022. Keeping the feelings of ex-soldiers, ex para-military personnel, the elders, women, youths and the intellectuals, I am sending you my resignation on May 18," he said in his letter addressed to AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

त्यागपत्र

पूर्व सैनिकों, पूर्व अर्धसैनिकों, बुजुर्गों, महिलाओं, युवाओं तथा बुद्धिजीवियों की भावनाओं को ध्यान में रखते हुए, मैं आज दिनांक 18 मई 2022 को, आम आदमी पार्टी की सदस्यता से अपना त्यागपत्र दे रहा हूँ । pic.twitter.com/5IMeVRu4sb — Col Ajay Kothiyal, KC, SC, VSM (R.) (@ColAjayKothiyal) May 18, 2022

The AAP, notably, had suffered a rout at the hustings with Kothiyal losing his deposit from the Gangotri assembly seat.

Kothiyal is said to have been unhappy with the way he was being treated by the party after the debacle in the assembly polls held in February this year. As per reports, he was also not invited to a party meeting held in New Delhi recently to analyse its performance in Uttarakhand.

Announcing the name of Kothiyal for his party's chief ministerial candidate in August last year, Kejriwal had then said the decision to pick the former army officer as the party's CM face was based on the feedback received from people of the state.

Uttarakhand is getting ready for change!
The people of Uttarakhand who succeeded the road show led by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Uttarakhand CM candidate Ajay Kothiyal.#AamAadmiParty #AAP #AapMysuru #Mysore pic.twitter.com/7RpH1ORGhD — AAP Mysuru (@AAPMysuru) August 18, 2021

पिछले 20 सालों में आप लोगों ने 10 साल बीजेपी और 10 साल काँग्रेस को दिए।

मैं सारे फौजियों से कहना चाहता हूं कि एक मौका कर्नल कोठियाल जी को देकर देखो। - @ArvindKejriwal#UttarakhandMangeNavParivartan pic.twitter.com/HyOKG2iWoK — Aam Aadmi Party Uttarakhand (@AAPUttarakhand) January 3, 2022

The AAP had fielded its candidates for all the 70 seats in the state elections, but could not open its account.

(With agency inputs)