Just about a year after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) bagged a total of four seats in 2014 parliamentary polls and that too in Punjab, it is currently struggling to emerge out of factionalism crisis.
Marred with indiscipline and lacking strong leadership in Punjab, AAP is hitting the headlines, since the recent past, for all the wrong reasons. To check dissidence within, the party has been taking strong action against its senior and prominent leaders with two of its MPs — Dr Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala and Harinder Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib — being the latest targets.
The two were suspended for “anti-party activities”. Before this, the party leadership had cracked the whip on other dissenters. Party’s State disciplinary committee chief Dr Daljit Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested 2014 lok Sabha polls from Amritsar against former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley, was expelled in July for going all out against the party leadership.
Party’s candidate from Khadoor Sahib lok Sabha seat Baldeep Singh, who was suspended for indiscipline, later quit the party. Party’s another lok Sabha candidate, Jyoti Mann from Jalandhar, was also expelled for indiscipline the previous year. Another senior leader, Prof Manjit Singh, was also expelled from the party for the same reasons. The party has, time and again, made it clear to the state party leaders, not to air their views publicly, and rather discuss it on the party forum. However, the dissidence continues.
REASONS
The crisis has its genesis in AAP’s inability to bring discipline in the party’s state unit in the backdrop of impending elections in Punjab. The party is expected to merge as a force to reckon with in the 2017 assembly polls, and most of its leaders including the elected MPs were self-convinced of the reins being handed over to them in case of the party forming a government.
Even the senior Congress leader Capt Amarinder had maintained that the party has “real danger” from the AAP, and 2017 elections would be direct contest between Congress and AAP.
The ruling alliance partners, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have also realised AAP’s strength, and have been forming their strategies accordingly to combat AAP effect, especially among the youth.
Most of the parties have one or two leaders who are projected as chief ministerial candidates. But in AAP, all four MPs — Bhagwant Mann from Sangrur, Dr Gandhi, Khalsa, Prof Sadhu Singh from Faridkot, and party’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur consider themselves to be eligible for the coveted post.
Being a new entrant on the political front, the AAP has been struggling to maintain party discipline ever since it emerged on the Punjab political scene. AAP is swamped by leaders and activists who never think twice before airing their views publicly against the party leadership
lack of effective and strong leadership in state has been emerged as a possible reason for current crisis within the party. Many of the state leaders have refused to accept Sucha Singh Chhotepur, dubbed as a “party-hopper”. They are of the view that Chhotepur, a former Akali leader, was rejected by the people of Punjab during his previous political outings and thus unfit to lead the party. Moreover, many of party leaders are against appointment of "outsider" Sanjay Singh as party's national in-charge.
In fact, since 2014 polls, the party has not been able to set up a proper organisational structure in the state, affecting its functioning.
CHAllENGES
AAP’s latest decision to suspend two of its MPs, Dr Gandhi and Khalsa, have increased its challenge to emerge as a strong contender in 2017 Punjab assembly elections. Facing factionalism and leadership crisis, the party may find it difficult to live up to its image among the Punjab voters. Expected to bring a much-needed change in the state, AAP had gained support of the people of Punjab against the old-timers — SAD-BJP, and the Congress. However, with its own leader training guns at the leadership and questioning the party’s ideology, the road ahead seems to be bumpy.
AAP’s central leadership has been trying to run the party affairs in Punjab through remote-control, and have till date failed to give a clear aim to its leadership. Besides, reigning the dissenters, especially its elected representatives, will also be a major challenge for the party.
WHAT AHEAD
All eyes are now on the party supremo Arvind Kejriwal who is expected to intervene directly or indirectly with its local level leadership for keeping the morale up. On the other hand, the “rebels”, including Dr Gandhi and Khalsa, are planning to among the masses to “expose Kejriwal”.
Punjab party convener Chhotepur has already stated that Kejriwal would spearhead the party in 2017 election campaign. Sources said that Kejriwal is expected to hold a meeting with the party leadership to solve the crisis and formulate a strategy for preventing another watershed.
Besides, Chhotepur has also made it clear to the “rebels” that indiscipline would not be tolerated at any cost. Asking them to “fall in line or face action”, Chhotepur said that party discipline is the foremost.
At the same time, Dr Gandhi declared that he would be touring the entire state soon to tell the people about the “reality”. “I am in contact with Khalsa, Dr Daljit and other party volunteers, and we would go to people and tell them how AAP is diverting from its real ideology and motives,” Dr Gandhi told The Pioneer.
“We are following the real ideology of AAP…the reason for which it was formed. AAP was for inner party democracy and transparent decision-making, but now it is nowhere…Kejriwal is acting like a dictator, which is unacceptable. People voted for AAP, not Kejriwal,” said Dr Gandhi.
