AAP plans carrot-&-stick approach to keep its flock together in Punjab

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, March 28

In a bid to keep its flock together post defections, AAP is planning a carrot-and-stick approach with its MLAs.

‘BJP indulging in hooliganism’

Most of our MLAs are receiving calls. The caller is promising to fulfil their demands. A subtle threat is also being issued that if they don’t join the BJP, they will not be spared. The BJP is not just indulging in hooliganism against AAP but is betraying the country. — Sandeep Pathak, National General Secy, AAP

The party has fixed meetings of all its legislators, small groups, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann after the March 31 rally in Delhi.

The CM would listen to the grievances of the MLAs and issues faced by them in their constituencies. Through these meetings, AAP aims to strategise its Lok Sabha election campaign.

Sources told The Tribune that AAP would use March 31 rally “as a benchmark of loyalty towards the party and its national convener Arvind Kejriwal”. Each MLA has been asked to get atleast 1,000 supporters at the rally. MLAs fear that failure to do so could lead to their wings being clipped and a parallel leader being empowered against them in their segments.

Sources said the party leaders (other than CM Mann) would also reach out to certain disgruntled MLAs, including those who “resigned” as ministers, the ones who aspire to get the ministerial berths and often criticise the government.

Such a step is being taken in the wake of two of its leaders, MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and MLA Sheetal Angural, switching over to the BJP.

The party top brass has apprehensions that more than 20 MLAs had been contacted by the BJP, besides three legislators — Jagdeep Goldy Kamboj, Rajinder Pal Kaur and Amandeep Singh Musafir — who spoke about Rs 20 to Rs 25 crore offer made to them yesterday.

Sandeep Pathak, national general secretary, AAP, said, “Most of our MLAs are receiving calls. The caller is promising to fulfil their demands. A subtle threat is also being issued that if they don’t join the BJP, they will not be spared. The BJP is not just indulging in hooliganism against AAP but is betraying the country.”