Another member said good bye to Aa Aadmi Party today and this it Ashish Khetan. After Ashutosh left within the week another one left party. In morning only Ashish given us the hint of leaving the party. In the post, Ashish Khetan said he is “not involved in active politics” but stopped short of making any announcement.

Ashish Khetan sent his resignation to Mr Kejriwal on August 15, Independence Day, the Press Trust of India quoted sources as saying. Ashutosh resigned the same day citing a “very, very personal reason”.

Ashish Khetan, 46, didn’t deny resigning and left room for speculation by suggesting “extrapolation” and “rumours”.

Ashish Khetan, an investigative journalist, joined AAP in 2014 and contested the national election from the New Delhi constituency in the capital but lost to the BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi.

He was appointed vice chairman of the Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission, an advisory body attached to the Delhi Government.

In April, he quit the post, saying he was joining the legal profession. He had also referred to “frustration” because of the tussle between the AAP government and the centre.

PTI quotes sources as saying Ashish Khetan wanted to contest the same seat that he had lost, in the 2019 national election, but the party was reluctant.

Like Ashutosh, Ashish Khetan was also counted among the closest aides of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and a member of AAP’s top leadership.

Last week, Mr Kejriwal said he would not accept Ashutosh’s resignation and tweeted: “How can we ever accept your resignation? Not in this lifetime.”

But Ashutosh remained firm on his exit. He had announced his resignation in a tweet that took AAP by surprise.