The rift within the Aam Aadmi Party at the national level on Tuesday found its reflection in Chandigarh with the “volunteers” encouraging party’s rebel leader and founder member Yogendra Yadav to float a new party. At the same time, the “volunteers” and also some of the prominent party leaders from this part of the region, assured Yadav of support for the April 14 convention organised by him and Prashant Bhushan at Gurgaon.
Notwithstanding, Yadav ruled out any possibility of forming a new party, while maintaining that their motive is not to “split up” the party but to go far “together” by preserving AAP’s founding principles. Yadav stated that the volunteers’ meet at Chandigarh was a part of their ‘Swaraj Samwad’ programme and it was just an effort to take along all the leaders who share the same view as them.
“There is a difference in ideology. Some political leaders for their self interest has diverted from the principles for which AAP was constituted. Those who agree with us, would join us in April 14 convention, and bring others for the same,” Yadav said.
Chandigarh’s meeting was attended by more than 200 AAP leaders and volunteers from Punjab, and Haryana, including Punjab unit’s spokesperson and under suspension Prof Manjit Singh, Haryana unit’s spokesperson Rajeev Godara, party's lok Sabha candidate from Jalandhar Jyoti Mann who has been expelled for anti-party activities, and advocate RS Bains.
“Volunteers meet in Chandigarh...Where a vow was taken to work with renewed vigour and remain loyal to the founding principles of AAP,” read Swaraj Samwad’s Twitter handle. Yadav spoke to the volunteers and apprised them of the "truth" behind the rift in the party. In his address, Yadav said that the party will stay true to its core values as long as workers “question the leadership and its decisions”.
“This was a general meeting or say just a preparatory meeting for April 14 convention. Those who feel that the stand adopted by Yadav and Bhushan is right, came to attend the meet. It is not like forming a group within a group,” a party leader, who attended the meet, told The Pioneer.
The leader, on the basis of anonymity, said that Yadav addressed the volunteers and “resolved their doubts, answered their queries, and tell them what exactly happened in the national council meeting and that was why the party is not showing the entire video footage”.
Another leader added, “He spelt out the truth to the gathering of volunteers who had a lot of queries. He gave a patient hearing to all the questions and responded to each of them in his closing speech.” Yadav, addressing the media persons after the meet, slammed AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and his team members questioning why the party was not showing complete video of the National Council.
“Without patience, neither family, a party and nor an organisation is made,” he said. AAP, in its national council meet on March 27, had expelled Yadav along with Prashant Bhushan from party's national executive.
To muster support among the party volunteers that has been rocked by differences among its top brass, Yadav will also address another volunteers’ meet on April 9 in lucknow, followed by the mega show near Gurgaon's IFFCO Chowk on April 14 — Dr Ambedkar Jyanti.
Yadav, on his first major visit to the region following his expulsion from party’s top posts, minced no words to say that a “conspiracy” was hatched to push him and Bhushan out of the party. “Immediately after Delhi results, we were told to quit and get out of all posts or we will be thrown out,” said Yadav.
Yadav pointed that the "real issue" raised by them was questioning some shady characters getting tickets. "We wanted at least that candidates' names etc and background put on the website. We were protesting against tickets to candidates against whom we had filed FIRs…We complained about 12 candidates," he said.
Slamming Kejriwal, Yadav, addressing volunteers, said that they had suggested to elect the entire party affairs committee again, and "we'll not be candidates. Everyone said this was ok, but Kejriwal was against our resignation. He wanted us to be sacked. You can see Mayank Gandhi's blog for the complete details". He said that the sole objective behind the move was "to send a clear signal that anyone speaking against neta ji would be shown the door".