Ahmedabad, April 27 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a setback in Gujarat just 24 hours before vote counting, as its state General Secretary Sagar Rabari resigned from all party posts, adding to a series of recent exits from the organisation.

Rabari, a prominent leader with influence among grassroots workers and sections of the farming community, announced his resignation through a Facebook post.

His departure comes at a sensitive juncture for the party, which is awaiting the results of the local body elections held on Sunday.

In his statement issued on Monday, Rabari said, “I finish my journey with the Aam Aadmi Party here today. Freeing myself from party membership, position and responsibilities. Heartfelt thanks to all colleagues for their cooperation. Personal relationships and friendships will remain intact.”

His resignation follows recent political developments within the party in Gujarat, where multiple leaders have exited in the run-up to the polls.

Days earlier, he had publicly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging attempts to intimidate voters and curb the party’s outreach, including through social media restrictions.

A party source told IANS that the reasons for his decision remain unclear.

“We do not know why he has given his resignation. He was doing press conferences till two days ago for the party and targeting the BJP. He is not picking up our calls. He has not said anything wrong about the party. Likely due to personal reasons, he resigned,” the source said.

Rabari’s exit comes amid earlier high-profile defections in the state unit.

Farmer leader Raju Karpada had resigned from the AAP in February this year and subsequently joined the BJP in April, stating that working with the government would better serve farmers’ interests.

Karpada, who previously headed the party’s farmer wing in Gujarat, had cited organisational issues and his experiences following legal cases linked to farmer protests as factors behind his resignation.

At the national level, the party has also faced significant changes in the Rajya Sabha.

In recent developments, seven AAP MPs in the Upper House have shifted to the BJP, reducing the party’s strength to three MPs and increasing the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s tally.

This follows internal dissent and merger requests accepted by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, marking a substantial shift in parliamentary representation.

The AAP has not yet issued an official response to Rabari’s resignation.

--IANS

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