Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) breakaway group, working under the banner of Swaraj Abhiyan or Swaraj lehar in Punjab, floated a new regional political outfit – Swaraj Party — in Chandigarh on Sunday.
It has been learnt that the two suspended AAP MPs — Dr Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala, and Harinder Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib — would join the new group.
Swaraj lehar, that launched a political party in Punjab at a convention, was a movement started by Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, who were expelled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following differences with the party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Several members of the Swaraj lehar attended the convention, which saw several resolutions, including one on forming a political party, pass. However, neither Yadav nor Bhushan attended Sunday’s convention.
Though two of AAP’s rebel Parliamentarians — Dharamvir Gandhi from Patiala and Harinder Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib — have expressed solidarity with the new political party, they are yet to join it.
The group had announced its intentions to form a party in April and had begun its membership drive five months ago.
However, decision to form a national party and elect its office-bearers will take place on July 30 and 31 in Delhi.
Former Panjab University professor Manjit Singh will lead the party in Punjab.
Singh said that the party would focus on “fighting for free education, free health and medical services, a debt free rural Punjab, expansion of MGNREGA and its extension to urban Punjab, and universal employment” and would push for implementing principles of riparian water rights for equitable distribution of river waters of Punjab.
A state working committee of 41 members has been constituted to expand the base of the party at block and village levels.
Committees have already been formed in half the state’s districts, while the remaining would be constituted within two weeks’ time.
The other officer-bearers of the party are senior vice-president Santokh Singh Aujla; vice- presidents GB Sahota and Rupinder Kaur; general secretary Harbans Singh Dholewal; secretary Gurmeet Singh Prajapat; joint secretary Charanjit Singh; and treasurer Pritam Singh.
A three-member team of Manik Goyal, Parteek and Gagandeep will be the in-charge of party’s activities on social media.
Three other members of the party — Shamsher Singh Bharadwaj, Gurnam Singh, Hartej Singh and Kuldeep Sharma — have been appointed spokespersons.