New Delhi: Months before the February Delhi elections, Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, 76, announced his retirement from electoral politics, citing his advanced age and health issues. Goel promised to stay with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a letter published on Thursday to Arvind Kejriwal.
In 1993, Goel was elected to the Delhi assembly from Shahdara on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. In 2015, he was chosen as Speaker and re-elected to the House after 22 years. Goel will remain the speaker until February 23, 2025, the end of the current House session.
Kejriwal praised Goyal and described his decision as an emotional moment in a post on X. “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…”. Kejriwal called Goyal the guardian of their family. “The party will always need his experience and services in the future too,” Kejriwal said.
Goel, a two-time AAP MP and prominent figure in the trader community, spoke out in favor of Kejriwal and other officials who were detained on suspicion of violating the now-scrapped 2021–22 excise policy. He also participated in protests against the BJP.
As Speaker, Goyal has opened the Assembly complex and a tunnel of the British era to the general public. In his letter to Kejriwal on November 25, Goyal had said that he has fulfilled his responsibilities as an MLA and Speaker with full dedication for 10 years. “You have always given me great respect, for which I will remain eternally grateful. The party and all the MLAs [members of the legislative assembly] have also given me much respect, and I express my gratitude…”
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