Ashish Khetan quits AAP. Was he declined to contest from New Delhi in 2019?

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashish Khetan on Wednesday said that he is not involved in active politics at the moment and is "completely focused" on his legal practices. His comments come after rumours of him leaving the AAP surfaced, following another senior member Ashutosh's exit from the party."

"I am completely focused on my legal practice and not involved in active politics at the moment. Rest is all extrapolation," Khetan wrote on Twitter. In another tweet, he wrote, "I had resigned from DDC (Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission) in April, to join the legal profession. That is all. Not interested in rumours."

In a Facebook post he shared, Khetan attributes his decision to move away from the party and electoral politics to focus on his legal practice and writing. However, PTI quoted AAP sources saying this his decision to quit the party just months ahead of Lok Sabha polls is linked to his desire to contest from a seat. 

As per AAP sources, Khetan wanted to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi parliamentary seat that he had lost to BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi in 2014. But his demand was not being accepted by the leadership and this could be one of the reasons for his decision to quit the party, they said.

As per PTI sources, Khetan sent his resignation to Mr Kejriwal on August 15 Independence Day, the same day when Ashutosh submitted his resignation from the party.

Party insiders said discontentment among senior leaders grew after the AAP nominated Delhi-based businessman Sushil Gupta and chartered accountant N D Gupta for the vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi along with senior leader Sanjay Singh. 

They said Ashutosh, Khetan and Kumar Vishwas, a founder member of the party, were upset over the AAP leadership's choice of the businessman and the chartered accountant for two of the three Rajya Sabha seats in April.