Ahead of the upcoming elections, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel has decided to retire from electoral politics, citing his advancing age as the reason. He wrote a letter to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and informed him about his decision. In a letter addressed, Goel expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the respect and support extended to him by fellow party legislators throughout his tenure.
In his letter, Goel stated that for the past 10 years, he has diligently served as the MLA of Shahdara and Speaker of the Assembly. He thanked Kejriwal for the respect he has always shown him, which he will forever be grateful for. The 76-year-old leader also acknowledged the respect he received from the party and fellow legislators, for which he expressed his gratitude. Due to my age, I wish to step away from electoral politics... I assure you that I will continue to serve the Aam Aadmi Party with full dedication, body, mind, and resources. I will make every effort to fulfill any responsibility that may be entrusted to me," Goel stated.
Kejriwal responds to Goel's decision
In response to the Speaker’s letter, Kejriwal stated that Goel’s decision to retire from electoral politics is an emotional moment for all of us. His guidance has shown the right direction both inside and outside the Assembly over the years. Due to his increasing age and health, Goel had expressed his wish to step away from electoral politics recently. The AAP chief also expressed respect for his decision, adding that Goel has always been, and will remain, a guardian of the party. The party will always require his experience and contributions in the future, he added.
Who is Ram Niwas Goel?
It should be noted here that Ram Niwas Goel has been serving as the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly since 2015. He represents the Shahdara Assembly seat in Delhi as an MLA. Goel first entered electoral politics in 1993, contesting as a BJP candidate and winning the elections. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections, Goel defeated Jitender Singh Shunty of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) by a significant margin of 11,731 votes. In 2020 Assembly elections, Goel defeated BJP candidate Sanjay Goel by a margin of 5,294 votes. His tenure as Speaker has been marked by his long-standing service and dedication to his constituency and the legislative assembly.
ALSO READ: AAP MLA Naresh Balyan arrested by Delhi Police for his alleged link to gangster in extortion case
