AAP in disarray, may dent its ‘mission 2017’

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 30

There seems to be no end to troubles for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the state. In a recent setback, the leadership suspended two MPs, Dharamvira Gandhi and Harinder Singh Khalsa, for their alleged anti-party activities.

The party now stands divided in three groups in the state. One is the mainstream group led by Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Sanjay Singh, HS Phoolka and Bhagwant Mann. The other is a volunteer group led by Sumail Singh Sidhu and supported by Dr Daljit Singh, Gandhi and Khalsa and others. The third group is led by Dr Manjit Singh which has joined hands with expelled party leaders Dr Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan.

Punjab is the only state in the country to have elected four AAP nominees to the Lok Sabha. People here were fed up the mainstream political parties and they wanted some change. As the AAP leadership promised to bring about revolutionary changes in the political system of the country, people, at least in Punjab, believed its word and went all out to support its candidates. Its four MPs were elected and two lost with a very narrow margin. And some others got sizeable chunk of votes. The overall performance of AAP in the Lok Sabha elections had left the mainstream parties dumbfounded.

The reason for mounting trouble in AAP is race among its top leaders for the next destination, the office of Chief Minister. There are some leaders who move about in the countryside presuming that people in the state would elect AAP in the next Assembly elections. They thus are sparing no opportunity to project themselves as most suitable candidates for the top job. As individualism has taken over, the party is not moving as a collective force. In fact, party has not shown its collective resolve to fight a big battle on big issues such as drugs, lawlessness, mafia operations, crisis in farm sector, declining economy, unemployment and chaos in urban areas.

However, all is not lost yet. The party did suffer certain setbacks in the recent past. But its support base is still, by and large, intact. Its membership drive has got a good response. But it needs to set its house in order and handle its political affairs with more alacrity. It, however, needs a formidable leadership to fight for the cause of the state and its people.

Won’t join any party: Gandhi

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 30

A day after his suspension from the party, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi has made it clear that he would not resign as Member Parliament as lakhs who have elected him “still stood by him” He also ruled out joining any other party as is being speculated.

Dr Gandhi and Fatehgarh Sahib MP Harinder Singh Khalsa were suspended yesterday for their alleged anti-party activities.

“My stand is very clear on issues that concern my constituency. I will continue to fight for the rights of lakhs who voted for me,” he said. “The recent decisions by the AAP leadership are not acceptable to many and just because I spoke against it, the party called me anti-party,” he stated.

Blaming party’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur for turmoil within the state unit, Dr Gandhi alleged: “He is the root cause of all problems in the state AAP unit. The party leadership too wants to run the show entirely from Delhi which is not acceptable to me.”