In a major political development from Gujarat, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Umesh Makwana resigned from all his party positions on Thursday, June 26, citing caste-based discrimination within the party. Representing the Botad constituency and belonging to the OBC Koli community, Makwana publicly announced his resignation at a press conference in Gandhinagar. He alleged that the party systematically prioritizes upper castes for key posts and sidelines backward community leaders after elections. Makwana, who served as AAP’s Whip in the Gujarat Assembly and national joint secretary, asserted that backward communities are treated merely as vote banks by all major political parties, including the BJP and Congress.
Makwana further substantiated his allegations by citing the party’s handling of recent by-elections in Kadi and Visavadar. According to him, the AAP provided minimal support to Jagdish Chavda, a Dalit candidate from Kadi, who had to contest the election by taking a personal loan, while pouring in massive resources and deploying the full state machinery for Gopal Italia, a Patidar candidate in Visavadar. He criticized this as clear caste-based favoritism and accused AAP of hypocrisy, stating, “You display Babasaheb Ambedkar’s photo, but not his principles.” When questioned about rumors linking his resignation to internal party reshuffles, Makwana dismissed the claims and maintained that his decision was rooted in deeper issues of inequality and representation.
AAP’s Gujarat leadership swiftly responded by suspending Makwana for five years, alleging corruption and anti-party activities. State president Isudan Gadhvi accused the BJP of attempting to poach Makwana to destabilize AAP and challenged him to resign as MLA and re-contest the seat. Meanwhile, party spokesperson Yogesh Jadvani defended AAP’s track record with Makwana, highlighting his rapid rise in the party since joining in 2022. Jadvani argued that Makwana had been appointed to multiple key posts and questioned his commitment to his own community, claiming he was often absent during critical moments. The BJP, for its part, dismissed the allegations of political interference, saying AAP must introspect on its internal crises instead of blaming others.
