A day after Aam Aadmi Party’s ambitious ‘Mission 2017’ to capture Punjab received another severe blow with its senior party leader Bhagwant Mann criticising the party leadership, the comedian-turned-parliamentarian on Monday met the party’s senior leadership in New Delhi and clarified his stand even as the party had not sought any clarification from him.
“The party has not sought any clarification from me,” Bhagwant Mann, who was in Delhi on Monday, told The Pioneer over phone. Mann met the party’s national leaders including State affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh to clarify the situation.
Mann, in a “leaked” telephone conversation with his party colleague and Patiala MP Dr Dharam Vira Gandhi — who was suspended recently for “anti-party activities”, has been heard criticising his leadership and taking credit for the victory of party candidates in Punjab in 2014 general election.
Dr Gandhi, besides party MPs Prof Sadhu Singh and Harinder Singh Khalsa, has been vocal against the party leadership and alleged it of “high-handedness”. However, Mann has always sided with the party’s high command.
A voice, purported to be that of Mann, said that people voted for them because of their “celebrity status” and not for the party that was why Himmat Singh Shergill, Jyoti Mann, didn’t win polls.
In the audio clip that went viral on social media on Sunday, he was also heard saying that “everyone is plotting against us. There is a personality fight in Punjab. I have 20 years’ experience and it is because of me that our party people are winning”.
Mann was apparently criticising the leadership for imposing its decisions on the Punjab AAP unit and appointing office bearers without consulting elected members from the State indicating that he too was unhappy with the way the state unit was being handled.
It is believed that the conversation took place in February this year, just after AAP’s record-breaking victory in the Delhi assembly elections. Even as AAP’s leadership has dismissed it as a “fake sting”, Dr Gandhi had confirmed the conversation.
Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said that he was unwavering towards AAP high command and has “no doubts in the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership”.
“I am working as a loyal soldier of the party under his leadership and will continue to do so,” he said.
“This is sheer derogatory politics and is unaware who leaked it,” while giving enough indications towards Dr Gandhi behind leaking of the audio conversation.
Justifying his stand, Mann said that he only meant to highlight the current political situation of Punjab. “Name of Arvind Kejriwal was not taken even once in the audio,” he clarified adding that it did not even have any content against the party.
“The only thing that comes out from the tape is that two MPs are saying that if there is groupism in Punjab, then Delhi AAP must be informed,” he said.
Infighting within the AAP’s Punjab unit has been brewing since July this year. Aiming to form the next government in Punjab after 2017 state assembly polls, the simmering discontent amidst the senior leader has marred its prospects.
Punjab was the only state where the party managed to bag four seats in 2014 lok Sbaha polls, while drawing blank across the country.
The discontentment within the leaders peaked months after AAP had an acrimonious parting with founder members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. Many local leaders aired their grievances in public, forcing expulsions, suspensions of many of its leaders.