Ashish Khetan quits AAP
New Delhi, Aug 22: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashish Khetan on Wednesday announced his resignation from the party, a step that comes a week after another leader, Ashutosh, took a similar decision.
"Early this year I made my decision to quit active politics after much deliberation and in consultation with family and close friends. However, since both the party and the government were beset with a series of crises, I waited for an opportune time to formalize my decision. I had also informed the party leadership about my decision, on more than one occasion," he said in a Facebook post.
He said that his "personal decision" to move away from the party and electoral politics should not be viewed as a reflection on the AAP.
"I have only received love and respect from the party and its members and volunteers. And I will be forever grateful for that," he said.
His Facebook came after a lot of speculation over his move and reports that he had quit the party. Initially, he gave vague replies on Twitter without confirming his decision.
There was no official comment from the AAP on Khetan's decision. In the case of Ashutosh, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal did not accept his resignation.
In April, Khetan had resigned as the Vice Chairman of the Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) to join the Bar and practice commercial law.
"I've also taken up legal causes in the larger public interest and will continue to do so. Besides practising law, I'm also keen to return to writing," he said.
He sought to quell rumours that his decision was in any way linked to his desire for getting a ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He was a candidate in the 2014 election.
"The party had graciously asked me to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, but I had politely turned it down. Contesting one more election would have further entrenched me in the world of politics, something I don't want at this point in time.
"I continue to hold all my ex-party colleagues in high regard and wish them good luck in their future endeavours," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Vartha Bharati–Sankalp predictions align closely with Karnataka bypoll results
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
