Mutiny in Punjab AAP over LoP removal

Crisis within Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) unit deepened on Friday with eight of its MLAs coming out in the open to support Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who was “unceremoniously” removed from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Vidhna Sabha a day before.

Khaira paraded the MLAs who in unison demanded the “review” of the “undemocratic” decision, claiming that they were not consulted by the party high command before appointing a new leader. Khaira argued that there was no meeting held, and no notice served to him prior to the decision.

Dubbing the decision as “arbitrary”, Khaira demanded it be revoked. At the same time, Khaira made it clear he would not leave the party, and instead, work for strengthening it.

“I was the Leader of Opposition, now I have become leader of people,” said Khaira while clarifying that he would continue to oppose the rival parties as well as the State Government.

On earlier instances, Khaira had support of about 14 out of the total 20 AAP legislators, but after his removal as the head of party’s legislative wing on Thursday, the number has come down to eight. Those who backed Khaira on Friday include Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu, Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Mansahia, Jaito MLA Master Baldev Singh, Bhadaur MLA Pirmal Singh, Maur MLA Jagdev Singh Kamalu, Raikot MLA Jagtar Singh Jagga, Bathinda Rural MLA Rupinder Kaur Ruby, and Garhshankar MLA Jai Kishan Singh Rodi.

Seeking review of party high command’s decision to remove Khaira, the eight MLAs have shot off a letter to AAP’s Delhi leadership asking about the reasons of changing the Leader of Opposition “without any warning”, and that no process was followed for the same.

Sandhu, who resigned as the spokesperson of the party’s legislative wing after Khaira was sacked from the coveted post, said: “We have written a letter, signed by eight MLAs, to the party head Arvind Kejriwal and State affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia asking them to review the decision which was taken without following the due process.”

“We were sensing that something like this may happen but never thought that it would come like this.

The decision was conveyed on Twitter. The MLAs were not consulted while taking this decision,” said Sandhu.

Refusing to disclose the contents of the letter as “party’s internal matter”, Sandhu said that we have listed out all the work done by legislative wing, by HS Phoolka and Khaira as the leaders of Opposition, besides elaborating upon the prevailing state of affairs in Punjab about how upset the people are from this decision.

Sandhu, a former journalist, also claimed that many State office-bearers, besides block level and zonal leaders have sent their resignations in protest, “but we have asked them to hold on as the AAP is our party and we all have to work for it”.

“We will be going to our respective constituencies and hold block level meetings to galvanise party cadre. We will tell them that we would not do anything that will weaken the party, and instead work towards doing away with our limitations,” he said.

Sandhu also announced to hold a party convention on August 2 for which all the office-bearers, MLAs, party wings and zonal heads, volunteers and workers will be invited. “Discussion on Punjab’s burning issues, how the party will raise these in the days to come, and also the prevailing crisis in the party,” he said.

AAP spokesperson Gurwinder Mittal, on the other hand, has maintained that the party would not grant permission to Khaira and others to hold an alleged “anti-party” convention at Bathinda.

The announcements were made by the party faction, led by Khaira, after hours long closed door meeting at his residence. During the meeting, the MLAs tried to convince Khaira to not to lose his cool and avoid further confrontation with the national leadership.

Khaira’s removal came after 15 AAP MLAs had signed consent for replacing Khaira with Dirba MLA Harpal Singh Cheema.

“At the time when we, on our part, were making efforts to resolve the differences between Dr Bablir Singh (State unit co-president) and Khaira listening to their grievances, we received a call from Sisodia informing that they are changing the Leader of Opposition, and asked me to sign the letter they are sending and send it back,” said another AAP MLA Nazar Singh Mansahia.

Lashing out at the high command, he said that they should have “sent a showcause notice to Khaira asking him to explain his position. The party should have conveyed its grievances to Khaira and gave him a personal hearing. Besides, they should have taken the opinion of all MLAs”.

Supporting the argument, another MLA Jagdev Singh Kamalu targeted Delhi leadership for ignoring basic character of the AAP. “The AAP was a common man’s party. It had assured that all decision will be taken with everyone’s opinion, including the volunteers and workers. But, we were asked to sign the dotted line without even taking our opinion,” he said.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia, who is also Punjab State affairs in-charge, had announced Khaira’s sacking order on Twitter on Thursday evening, and appointing a Dalit leader Harpal Singh Cheema in his place.

The decision comes days after Khaira accused State co-president Dr Balbir of conspiring against him in order to get him removed as the Leader of Opposition, and making false allegations of accepting money from party workers.

Sharp differences between the two were witnessed during a Press briefing where Khaira bitterly contradicted Dr Balbir on the controversy surrounding his statement on the issue of “Referendum 2020”.

In the immediate aftermath of Khaira’s statement allegedly “backing” Referendum 2020, Dr Balbir had issued a statement saying that the AAP did not support what Khaira had said and that an explanation will be sought from him on his statement.

Even as the two leaders started appearing together on common platforms, another political storm hit AAP’s State unit when 16 of its senior leaders, including six district presidents, submitted their resignations from the party posts in protest against Dr Balbir’s “arbitrary decisions”.

In a joint resignation letter addressed to Sisodia, they had stated that Dr Balbir had taken several “wrong decisions” from the time he was appointed the State co-president due to which the party’s graph was plummeting in the State, and he should be removed from the party so that it is strengthened in Punjab.

Notably, all 16 of them owe their allegiance to Khaira, while he had rubbished reports that their resignations were fallout of differences between him and Dr Balbir.