AAP sacks Bhushan, Yadav from key panel

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 4

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today sacked senior leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from its top decision-making body, after weeks of infighting that pitted the two against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

With 19 of the 21 members attending the party’s National Executive, 11 voted to drop Bhushan and Yadav from the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), while eight voted against, party sources said.

The two absentees included Kejriwal, who flew to Bengaluru to seek 10 days of naturopathy treatment.

Party spokesman Kumar Vishwas made the announcement after a nearly six-hour meeting of the National Executive that followed a virtual war between the two leaders and loyalists of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The National Executive also rejected Kejriwal’s resignation as national convener. Kejriwal had resigned saying he cannot do justice to both the Chief Minister’s post and that of the convener.

The nine-member political affairs committee  is the supreme body in the AAP, which was formed in 2012 and that stormed to power in Delhi last month by sweeping 67 of the 70 seats in the Assembly.

“The National Executive passed a resolution and it has been decided that Bhushan and Yadav will not serve the political affairs committee  any more. They will be given new responsibilities in the party,” said Vishwas, who was accompanied by party general secretary Pankaj Gupta.

“Apart from not being in the PAC, Yadav will also not be the party spokesperson anymore,” a party source said.

Vishwas underlined that the Aam Aadmi Party remained a united force and would do all it can to meet the aspirations of the people of Delhi and the country.

At the meeting, the party’s “Mission Expansion” and disciplinary aspect were also discussed.

Supreme Court lawyer Bhushan said, “The AAP National Executive has decided that Yadav and I will no longer remain members of the political affairs committee. The decision was taken by the majority in the National Executive.”

Yadav, a known political pundit, said the AAP decision would be announced by the party and he was no more authorised to make announcements on behalf of the party.

“As a disciplined worker of the party, I will try to fulfil whatever role is assigned to me to the best of my capacity,” he said, adding, “The AAP has been formed with the sweat and labour of people. It should never dash people’s hopes.”

Known for his differences with Yadav, Haryana leader Naveen Jaihind is believed to have moved the resolution for his ouster from political affairs committee.

The disciplinary action against the top two senior leaders was taken in view of allegations of anti-party activities, including conspiring to unseat Kejriwal from the national convener post.  

The pro-Kejriwal camp used an old sting tape of a purported conversation between Kejriwal’s personal aide Bibhav and a journalist, which was circulated among the media to build a case against Yadav.