One hand of the Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit is undoing the actions of the other. Virtually declaring its functional supremacy and autonomy, the AAP’s rebel faction has made clear that its actions are “official” and “official actions” are unofficial.
Projecting itself as a parallel power centre within the AAP’s Punjab unit, party’s rebel faction on Sunday reinstated Boota Singh Bairagi as its “main panelist for TV debates” — three days after he was removed from the official list of media panelists for his “acts of indiscipline”.
“Bairagi, who is an effective communicator, was wrongly removed a few days ago by the people who themselves stand removed,” said AAP ‘rebel’ MlA and ‘ousted’ leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Sukhpal Singh Khaira.
His removal was announced by party’s Punjab co-president Dr Balbir Singh on August 9 who had stated that Bairagi was warned for his activities of indiscipline in the past as well. “But failing to fall in the party line, the party took the decision to remove him from media panelists list,” he had stated. Following Khaira’s removal as the party’s legislative group head, AAP’s Punjab unit is divided into two power centres — with one headed by Khaira-led rebel faction and other owing allegiance to the Delhi Durbar.
All along been pressing for “autonomy” for state unit, the Khaira-led rebel faction had even passed six resolution during its mega volunteers’ convention at Bathinda on August 2, including declaring AAP’s Punjab unit free from Delhi bosses, dissolving current organizational structure in the state, and setting up a new one for which it has recently set up an eight-member political affairs committee (PAC).
Throwing an open challenge to the party high command almost every day, the latest move by the rebel faction was enough to indicate that the vertical split is imminent. Khaira has the support of seven MlAs. Announcing Bairagi’s appointment as “AAP's main panelist for debates and discussions on television channels”, Kharar MlA and party “spokesperson” Kanwar Sandhu said that he will be the leading panelist on TV debates and discussions on behalf of the party in Punjab.
Sandhu added that besides Bairagi, MlAs — Nazar Singh Mansahia, Master Baldev Singh, Jagdev Singh Kamalu, Pirmal Singh, Jagdev Singh Hissowal, Jai Singh Rori and Gurpratap Singh Khushalpur could also be contacted for panel discussions subject to their availability in Chandigarh.
By recalling Bairagi’s appointment, the rebel faction has challenged the party leadership’s decision powers. So much so, the rebel faction has addressed itself as “the party”.
The decision came a day after the rebel faction held its first district convention in Garhshankar on Saturday wherein Khaira declared that the party’s Delhi leadership will have to toe their line if it wanted to do away with the differences. Sandhu, in the official press statement, said: “The party had announced an aggressive people outreach programme in the districts after the massively attended volunteers’ convention in Bathinda on August 2, where six resolutions were passed. The first district-level convention was organized at Garhshankar, which was attended by more than 5,000 people.”