Rocked by controversies hovering around the allegations of corruption and allocation of tickets to “tainted or undeserving”, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears to be sinking in poll-bound Punjab. A frontrunner till about six months back, the party is fast losing its sheen with migration of its leaders to rival parties.
In deep mire, AAP on “troubled” Tuesday faced one after another jolt with its national executive member Yamini Gomar resigning from all party posts, former Cabinet minister Balbir Singh Bath rejoining the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and its founding member Dr Jiwanjot Kaur announcing to contest 2017 polls as an independent.
The series of setbacks came at a time when party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister is touring across the state to give a much needed push to the AAP in Punjab.
Earlier, AAP four key leaders, including a founder member and state vice-president Colonel CM lakhanpal, along with other key organisational members — PK Sharma, Colonel Iqbal Pannu and Barpur Singh — quit the party to join the Congress alleging large-scale corruption and scams in Arvind Kejriwal’s party.
Before that, Olympian-turned-Punjab police cop Surinder Singh Sodhi had also quit AAP to hold Congress’ “hand”, besides several others.
From Indian hockey’s golden girl Rajbir Kaur to its candidates for 2017 assembly elections and grassroot level workers, AAP has been accused of “selling” party tickets with the connivance of Delhi team led by Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak. Nothing less than 35 AAP workers had alleged that 59 of its candidates for Punjab polls were “tainted” while demanding their replacement.
In fact, AAP coordinator NRI Wing Virendra Singh Parihar, in open letter to Kejriwal, had alleged that a whopping Rs 200 crore had been collected in Punjab, mostly in the form of illicit cash, with Rs two crore taken per constituency by the party leaders.
Similar allegations were levelled by Yamini Gomar and Dr Jiwanjot that may further mar party’s prospects in Punjab ahead crucial 2017 polls.
AAP PARTY OF ‘lOOTERS’; lEADERSHIP ‘ANTI-DAlIT, ANTI-SIKH’, ‘ANTI-PUNJAB’: GOMAR
AAP national executive member and Hoshiarpur candidate for 2014 lok Sabha election Yamini Gomar on Tuesday resigned from the primary membership of the party while terming it as “party of looters”.
Gomar, party’s one of the prominent Dalit faces, lashed out at AAP leadership left, right and centre while calling them “anti-Dalit, anti-Sikh” and “anti-Punjab”. Polled 2.12 lakh votes in the parliamentary poll from Hoshiarpur, she was expecting a ticket from Sham Churasi (reserved) Assembly seat.
She alleged, “Party volunteers are being made to work like slaves. The so-called observers of AAP have captured the entire Punjab and are indulging in corruption and wrongdoing. The disgusting situation has shattered all my dreams and hopes for bringing in a change and improvement in Punjab.”
Gomar, who had been quite active for more than two years, said: “The three Cs which the party has been claiming to weed out — corruption, crime and characterless — are not at all being followed. AAP leaders, including organisational head Durgesh Pathak and Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh, are the biggest manipulators. While other parties, including the SAD, indulge in loot after coming to power, the AAP has already begun the loot even before elections.”
Reacting Arvind Kejriwal’s recent announcement of appointing a Dalit Deputy Chief Minister in Punjab after forming government, Gomar said: “It is nothing more than an election stunt.”
“If AAP is so concerned, why the party did not announce its MP Harinder Singh Khalsa, who is a Dalit and a Sikh, as the leader of parliamentary group,” she said, also terming the release of the Dalit manifesto as a poll plank of the party. Announcing her resignation along with party’s youth wing vice-president Baljit Singh, and state unit’s former organiser lR Nayyar, Gomar said, “There is no democracy within the party. We cannot speak what we feel.”
At the same time, she said that she had only heard about such “cash-for-ticket” stories but was not a witness to it.
BATH RE-JOINS SAD
SAD on Tuesday got a major shot in arm as Punjab’s former cabinet minister Captain Balbir Singh Bath left AAP to rejoin his parent party, Akali Dal, merely four months after he shifted his loyalties.
Welcoming Captain Bath in the SAD fold, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that former Minister was a true Akali who has been a committed soldier of the party since long.
“Passion and love for Akali Dal is in the blood of Captain Bath and his return to the party would ensure massive victory of party from Sri Hargobindpur Sahib assembly segment…I am thankful to Captain Bath and assure him that he will be given due respect within the party,” he added.
DR JIWANJOT TO CONTEST INDEPENDENTlY FROM FARIDKOT
AAP’s founding member Dr Jiwanjot Kaur, who along with various party workers had quit the party against allocation of tickets to “corrupt and criminal” aspirants, on Tuesday announced to contest from Faridkot assembly constituency as an independent.
“We had resigned from the party after the allocation of tickets to people who are not in tune with the party’s policies and programmes,” she said while clarifying that she had no grudges against AAP candidate Gurditt Sekhon, “but he disappointed the workers by not taking a stand against allocation of tickets to ‘corrupts and criminals’.
“Our faith is further shattered when Kejriwal visited Faridkot on October 25…They didn't inform us that Kejriwal would be visiting. Even Gurditt Sekhon did not let us know about the visit,” she added.