The tremors Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is facing in Punjab may not have its epicenter in Delhi but it has left the party leaders shaken.
In a virtual replica of Delhi happenings, simmering discontentment in party’s Punjab unit is surfacing with its top leaders raising their voices of dissent. What was a whisper in AAP’s corridors is now being heard loud and clear in public.
Triggered following the Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann’s elevation to the party’s top-post in Punjab, the fissures within the party State unit is widening with each passing day. And, its rival political parties are all set to cash in on the same.
As the saffron party had claimed that it was in touch with 11 of the AAP’s 20 MlAs who may switchover anytime soon, the ruling Congress party is also ready to poach.
Soon after AAP’s former State convener Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi part ways with the party for his “unceremonious” exit, the rumour mill started grinding over the possibility of comedian-turned-politician holding the Congress’ “hand”.
Ghuggi, who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 Punjab polls from Batala Assembly segment and finished third next to SAD and Congress candidates, had given indications of joining any other political outfit after announcing his decision to quit AAP.
“I would continue with the politics but not with AAP,” said Ghuggi a day before, while maintaining a strategic silence over the possible shift.
Congress is likely to be the next destination next for Ghuggi’s political career.
On the other hand, the Congress party maintained that it would be advantage to the party of Ghuggi join hands.
Ghuggi is said to have met Congress MlA Raj Kumar Verka before resigning. Neither confirming, nor denying, Verka said that thje party is ready to welcome any leader who is deserving.
“The anti-defection law may prevent some MlAs to join other parties but we will help them in their constituencies. We are expecting that some leaders will join the party soon,” said Verka.
Speculation is rife that Ghuggi may shift over to the Congress, and the party may field him as its candidate for Gurdaspur bypoll, necessitated following the death of sitting MP and Bollywood star Vinod Khanna only recently.
Batala forms the part of the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, from where Ghuggi contested his first ever elections and managed to bag 34,000 votes against the Akali stalwart lakhbir Singh lodhianangal and Congress’ then sitting MlA Ashwani Sekhri.
With Ghuggi, hockey Olympian and senior AAP leader Jagdeep Gill too resigned in protest against “sharabi” Mann’s elevation to the post of state president. The party has also expelled another senior leader Upkar Singh Sandhu for going vocal against Mann’s appointment.
Already, Bholath MlA Sukhpal Singh Khaira had resigned from the party posts of Chief Whip in Vidhan Sabha and spokesperson protesting against ‘ignoring’ him during party’s organizational restructuring.
A journalist-turned-politician Kanwar Sandhu, who is currently out of country, had also expressed his displeasure over Mann’s appointment saying that it would “weaken the party”.
Sources informed The Pioneer that murmurs of dissent within the party may soon find a voice and the party may face an exodus of sorts. It has been learnt that the volunteers are unhappy with the way things are happening within the party, both at the state and national level, coupled with the resounding defeat.
A senior BJP leader maintained that some prominent AAP faces may soon join the saffron brigade ahead of its national president Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to the state next month. Khaira, at the same time, denied any such development.
“It is a ploy by rivals to divide the party,” said Khaira asking the BJP and Congress leaders to come forward and share evidence of AAP MlAs approaching them. “It’s false propaganda of the BJP and the Congress. All 20 AAP MlAs in the state are united and will work to strengthen the party,” he said.
Interestingly, Khaira stayed away from the party event of meeting Punjab Governor to raise issues concerning the people despite been called to remain present.
Refusing to comment on the factionalism within AAP, leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha and senior AAP leader HS Phoolka maintained that “all is well”.