Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its rebel group on Tuesday trudged towards sweeping away their internal disputes.
AAP’s five-member coordination committee, headed by the party MLA and Deputy Leader of the legislative wing Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, and the rebel faction, headed by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, unanimously indicated that contesting ensuing Lok Sabha elections under a single banner would be beneficial.
Even though the meeting, “first in the series”, remained inconclusive, both the factions deliberated upon and discussed all the concerned issues in detail.
However, the Khaira led rebel faction maintained that any decision would be taken after holding consultations with the party volunteers and supporters. Following which, the date for the next meeting would be decided.
After the closed-doors meeting, both the factions displayed somewhat soft attitude towards each others, in a clear-cut deviation from the otherwise defiant approach adopted by the Khaira-led faction.
During the meeting, Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu was leading the Khaira-led faction, while from the other side, party’s state unit president and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, MLA Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, MLA Rupinder Kaur Ruby and MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori were accompanying Manuke. AAP had set up a coordination panel to reach out to disgruntled leaders and resolve differences to unite the party in one single unit to strengthen it ahead 2019 elections.
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 held 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 was backed by seven MLAs, and the group raised the demand for complete autonomy to party’s state unit.
AAP TO ANNOUNCE ALL LOK SABHA CANDIDATES BY DEC
AAP core committee, that met under the chairmanship of Principal Budh Ram, has decided to announce the names of all candidates for 2019 Lok Sabha polls by December.
“Party has decided to give preference to party workers for the tickets in 2019 elections. AAP volunteers with clean image and good reputation would be considered. The first phase of screening of candidates would be completed by November 2018 and final list will be declared by December end,” said Ram.
He said that all candidates will be finalised by core committee and names will be sent to the central leadership for approval.
Besides, the core group also expanded its organisational structure appointing MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan as AAP state Kisan cell president, and MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa as state Transport cell president, and Advocate Jastej Singh Arora as state president of party’s legal cell. Three district and eight constituency presidents have also been appointed.