A day after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released its first list of 19 candidates for 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, the party’s visibly upset State convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur on Friday hinted that the names were open to review.
His assertion came as the party made frantic efforts to pacify Chhotepur who was feeling left out after a couple of names found a space in the list despite his reservation.
Peeved, Chhotepur has raised the issue with the party’s State affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh and Political Affairs Committee (PAC) demanding “reconsidering” three names, announced a day before.
At the same time, Chhotepur has maintained that, if not reconsidered, he would raise the issue with the party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, once he will be back from his meditation course in Himachal Pradesh on August 12.
“The party workers had objection over certain names, and paying heed to it, seven names were withdrawn, out of 26, from the first list. Still, there is resentment over three names, regarding which I have talked to the party in-charge,” Chhotepur told The Pioneer.
Chhotepur said he had also raised the matter with party’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee (PAC), of which party MPs Bhagwant Mann and Prof Sadhu Singh were the members.
Refusing to disclose the seats for which he is demanding reconsideration, Chhotepur said it was an internal matter of the party and the names were for the consideration at party level only.
“There is one or two names on which workers have strong objections...interest of workers who have worked hard should be kept in mind. Their interests should not be ignored,” said Chhotepur while refusing to disclose candidates’ names.
Chhotepur maintained it was PAC’s right to announce the candidates “and everybody will agree on it. If the party says that they can be changed, then they will be changed”.
“Whatever the PAC has decided is final. We can talk that workers interests should not be ignored,” he added.
Dissents of sorts have erupted within the party after the announcement of its first list of 19 candidates, which includes the names of senior lawyer HS Phoolka, advocate-turned-politician Himmat Singh Shergill, former BSP MP Mohan Singh, former basketball player and Arjuna awardee Singh Cheema, among others.
It has been alleged that the party, ignoring the ground level party workers, have allotted ticket to the new entrants, wealthy, party-hoppers, and those who are close to the powers-that-be in the national capital.
Agreeing, Chhotepur minced no words to say that the list was finalised in Delhi and many “actual” party workers were ignored.
Chhotepur has recommended five names each to the members of screening committee, but none from his recommendations have been given the party ticket which upset him as “the workers who have actually worked for the party, since past two-three years, have been ignored”.
Clearing air on rumours of his resignation from the party, Chhotepur said he was a trusted soldier if the party, and is here to stay. “I am not going to leave the party...if party wanted to expel me, it can,” he added.
Regarding the protests against the candidature of party’s legal Cell head and advocate Himmat Singh Shergill from Mohali, Chhotepur said that he will himself try to pacify the dissenting voices, if asked by the party.