The expulsion of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, founder leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), would trigger an exodus of party workers, former State coordinator of AAP, Harish Chandra Arya claimed here on Tuesday.
While interacting with The Pioneer, Arya, who till recently was heading the State unit of party, said AAP had lost the moral high ground among the people and the recent episode of removal of top leaders had disillusioned the followers of the party.
He said he left AAP since he opposed the ‘mission expansion’ of the party as he was against the concept of entry of everyone into the party. Arya said he was in touch with many party workers and most of them were fed up with the internal dissensions in the party.
When contacted by The Pioneer, State Treasurer of AAP Ranveer Chaudhary said the party workers were jolted by the recent happenings at the national level but insisted the party was united at the State-level.
Echoing similar sentiments AAP leader Anoop Nautiyal said party workers had overcome the initial shock over the happenings but everything was settled now as every worker believed that Arvind Kejriwal was the supreme party leader. During the run up to general elections last year the AAP undertook an aggressive campaign in the State and projected itself as a third alternative to the BJP and Congress before the people of the State.
The tall claims of the party, however, fell flat as the electorate of the State gave it a sound thrashing in the electoral fray. All the five AAP candidates in the State forfeited their security deposit and to add insult they were not even among top three contestants in State.
The lone exception was Anoop Nautiyal the party candidate from Tehri parliamentary constituency who was able to secure third position but he too lost his security deposit.