After days of speculation and conflict in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the national executive of the party decided on Wednesday to remove senior party leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan from the Political Affairs Committee (PAC).
The move came after the duo repeatedly questioned the style of functioning of party chief Arvind Kejriwal and had even allegedly “conspired” to remove him from the post of national convener.
While key leaders were present at the national executive meeting on Wednesday, national convener Arvind Kejriwal was missing as he is in Bengaluru to get naturopathy treatment for his escalating sugar levels.
However, while Yadav and Bhushan have been removed from the PAC, the national executive also decided that the PAC would be completely reconstituted. There was also a shuffling of key leadership roles in the party, said sources.
The national executive meeting, which began at 2 pm on Wednesday, went on till late in the night where several issues were discussed. However, Yadav and Bhushan walked out around 7.30 pm. While Yadav maintained that he would continue working as a dedicated worker of the party, Bhushan left saying that a majority decision will prevail. Bhushan added, “The AAP national executive has decided that Yogendra Yadav and I will no longer remain members of the PAC.”Yadav and Bhushan were voted out of the PAC by the party’s 21-member national executive by 11 to eight votes. Besides Kejriwal, Mayank Gandhi was not present at the meet.
Apart from being removed from the PAC, party sources confirmed that Yadav will also not be the spokesperson of the AAP anymore. While several issues were raised by the party against Yadav, sources said that one of the main points raised in the meeting was of Yadav allegedly leaking information to a reporter which was later used in a column.
After walking out of the meeting, Yadav said: “I will work as a dedicated worker of the party and will perform whatever duty I am asked to do.” Before the meeting as well Yadav clarified that he will not quit the party and he has called the ongoing crisis an “opportunity” for AAP.
Another important issue discussed at the national executive meeting was Kejriwal’s resignation as national convener which was eventually rejected. Kejriwal didn’t submit a fresh resignation, said party leaders. They added that Kejriwal had not taken back the resignation he had tendered during the national executive meeting last week. “Arvind has not tendered a fresh resignation. In the last national executive meeting, he had quit, but it was vehemently opposed by all the members,” said AAP leaders.
The current crisis has the party split into three camps with one set of leaders firmly behind Kejriwal, the second being Yadav and Bhushan and the third comprising leaders who prefer not to take sides and are seeking a compromise.