AAP's Ram Niwas Goel quits electoral politics; to complete term as speaker

Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel, 76, has announced his retirement from electoral politics months before Delhi elections are due in February, citing his advanced age and health concerns.

- Alok K N Mishra

In a letter to ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal released on Thursday, Goel said he would continue to work for the party.

Goel, who first became a Delhi assembly member in 1993 on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket from Shahdara, was re-elected to the House after 22 years in 2015 and picked as the Speaker.

Goel will continue to hold the Speaker's position until the end of the current House term-February 23, 2025. "I have not resigned as Speaker, I will continue to be the Speaker till the end of the term," Goel told HT.

In a post on X, Kejriwal praised Goel and called his decision to leave electoral politics an emotional moment. "His guidance has shown us the right direction inside and outside the House for years. Due to his increasing age and health, he recently expressed his desire to leave electoral politics..." He added they respected his decision.

Kejriwal called Goel the guardian of their family. "The party will always need his experience and services in the future too," Kejriwal said.