Kapil Mishra unlikely to be expelled by AAP

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 28

Sacked minister Kapil Mishra is unlikely to face expulsion from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as has been the case with four other suspended legislators in Delhi and two MPs of Punjab.

Mishra, once a confidant of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has levelled serious charges of corruption against him and other party leaders, causing immense embarrassment to the party following the city’s civic elections. he has also dared Kejriwal to expel him.

However, once expelled Mishra can join another party or form a separate group in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, which the party certainly wants to avoid despite a massive majority it enjoys in the House.

The AAP has so far suspended five MLAs -- Mishra, Devinder Sehrawat, Amanatulla Khan and former ministers Asim Ahmed Khan and Sandeep Kumar for damaging the party’s image.

While all four except Amanatulah have rebelled against Kejriwal and the party, but the AAP has chosen not to remove them from the party as in that case they are bound to abide by the party whip in the Delhi Assembly or face disqualification as an MLA.

However, party leaders maintain that all suspended leaders who have won on the AAP ticket are free to resign and contest again AAP's Bawana MLA Ved Prakash did before the last month’s MCD elections.

Similarly, the AAP out of the four party MPs in Punjab, H S Khalsa and Dharamvira Gandhi were suspended from the party even as they are known to be close to Yogendra Yadav. More so this is crucial keeping in mind the Presidential vote.