Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, it seems, is taking one step ahead to move backwards. Even as the two factions of the party initiated talks to resolve the internal strife, the AAP’s state leadership once again enraged its rebel by announcing the names of its five candidates for 2019 Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday.
The move has not only “surprised” the rebel faction of party’s eight MLAs, led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, but also “upset” them as the decision came at a time when the effort was on to untangle the issues between the two warring factions within AAP’s Punjab unit.
“We are surprised over this announcement and they have pushed all the unity talks under the carpet. They behaved arrogantly,” alleged Khaira, while maintaining that the “doors for talks are still open”.
At the same time, Khaira gave AAP an ultimatum till November 7 to dissolve its current political affairs committee (PAC), if not, the rebels would come up with a “new front”. He even did not rule out the possibility of the rebels declaring their own list.
“This only shows that the other side is not keen on a patch up. They have, in fact, closed all possibilities of rapprochement,” he said.
The development came a week after the representatives of both the factions held a detailed meeting, and agreed to join forces for the ensuing parliamentary elections for the party’s interest.
Days later, AAP’s state unit appoint 14 new office-bearers, including heads of three wings, three district presidents and eight constituency presidents — which Khaira dubbed as the “double standards and insincerity” of state leadership, while setting November 1 as deadline to scrap the appointments before holding the next round of talks.
“We had earlier given them an ultimatum till November 1, which we are now extending till November 7. If the party does not agree to abide by the resolutions passed in Bathinda convention, we will start setting up our own structure in villages and towns,” said visibly upset Khaira.
AAP in Punjab is currently facing its worst-ever political crisis with the state party unit divided into two power centres — one comprising of rebel MLAs led by Khaira and another owing allegiance to Delhi leadership.
The rebel faction, comprising eight out of total 20 MLAs led by Khaira, had already made it clear that it was ready to resolve differences, “but on its own terms”. The rebels have made it amply clear that the basis of talks will be the “six resolutions passed at the AAP’s Volunteers’ Convention at Bathinda on August 2”.
AAP ‘rebel’ faction came into being soon after Khaira was unceremoniously removed from the post of the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha, while replacing him with Dirba MLA Harpal Singh Cheema “without consulting all the party MLAs”.
Khaira, backed by seven MLAs and the rebel faction raising the demand for complete autonomy to party’s state unit, claimed that the way “AAP leadership is taking unilateral decisions, they are heading towards complete crash in Punjab and complete marginalisation of the party. It is going to be very difficult to save the deposits even by star candidates on any seat”.
Defending the decision to announce the candidates, party MLA Prof Baljinder Kaur said that they had always welcomed the rebel faction for the talks, “but the time requires that we need to announce Lok Sabha candidates”.
Prof Baljinder, who announced the candidates’ names with AAP’s core committee head Principal Budh Ram and was also appointed as party’s Chief Spokesperson, denied the allegations that the rebel group has been sidelined.
