Kejriwal to visit Punjab, to restructure party

Alarmed after the massive turnout at the rebel faction’s Bathinda convention put the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) leadership on spot, its national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has decided to take the control of party affairs here.

To rebuild brick-by-brick the party’s crumbling structure in Punjab, Kejriwal would hold extensive visits to the State in October. He will not only try to win over the rebels and their supporters, but also to closely monitor the party affairs in Punjab — a State which had sent AAP’s four leaders to the Lok Sabha for the first time.

Besides Punjab, Kejriwal would also be monitoring closely the party’s developments in the neighboring states of Haryana and Delhi, where AAP is in power, with an eye on ensuing parliamentary polls to be held in 2019.

“Punjab is very important for AAP because it is from here that the party started its actual political journey…it is from here that people voted for the party accepting it as the third alternative,” said a senior AAP leader admitting that the party failed to keep up its momentum over these years.

“If we look at all these years, AAP’s graph has seen many ups and downs…From the point where it was seen as the party to form the next Punjab Government, it finished second with just 20 seats…and it was followed by many controversies too that dented party’s image in the State,” said the leader, who did not wish to be named, adding that the latest upheaval could be the last nail if not checked on time.

The leader informed that Kejriwal was requested to visit Punjab in October and address a rally. “Now, they have decided that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Bhagwant Mann will hold a big rally in which AAP will announce its plans for 2019 general elections,” added the leader.

Already marred by internal strife and power games, AAP’s Punjab unit is facing its worst ever crisis at the moment which started with the removal of its legislative wing’s head Sukhpal Singh Khaira — with the party virtually facing a vertical split.

Khaira, backed by six MLAs, held a volunteer’s convention which the party high command termed as “anti-party” while asking all the leaders to “stay away”. Notwithstanding, the convention achieved “more-than-expected” response, and passed six resolutions declaring state party unit autonomous while dissolving the AAP’s present organizational structure in Punjab — throwing a direct challenge to the party high command.

While the rebels were firing salvos, AAP’s leadership adopted the path of peace and dubbed Khaira and his supported as “misguided” while refusing to initiate any action against them. They even invited them, though unofficially, to hold talks with them to resolve their grievances.

At the same time, the AAP leadership is making efforts to breathe life into its State unit which, it seems, on its last legs.

Days after the convention, AAP State unit on Saturday held a meeting, attended by hundreds of party leaders, except the MLAs who were not invited.

It rejected the resignations of its State unit president Bhagwant Mann and co-president Aman Arora months after they put in their papers in protest against Kejriwal’s apology to SAD leader Bikram Majithia in a defamation case.  

That is not all! Soon, party’s senior leader and Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also Punjab party affairs in-charge, would also be holding a rally in Jalandhar on August 13 — in return to the rebel faction’s Bathinda congregation.

Sisodia will also be touring Punjab soon and will discuss the party's organization along with its leaders and workers in the State.

His main focus would be on the impending panchayat and zila parishad polls.

Besides, the party has also decided to hold party conferences in Baba Bakala on August 15, and in Isru on August 26, dedicated to the great martyr of Goa, Karnail Singh Issru.

In another damage control move, the party has asked its most popular leader in the state, Bhagwant Mann, to lead the party from the front, apparently to flatten the rebels’ campaign.