Delhi Aam Aadmi Party members Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia during a meeting. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)Hours after former Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira resigned from the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), senior leader and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia came down heavily upon him and asked him to quit from the position of MLA as well. Sisodia added that the rebel leader’s exit will only strengthen the party.
“Mr Sukhpal Khaira’s resignation was expected. Party will be strengthened with his exit. He should now resign from MLA also, which he won on the party ticket. Mr Khaira started revolting against party since the post of LoP in Punjab was given to a Dalit leader,” Sisodia tweeted.
Adding that Khaira was trying to weaken the party, Sisodia said, “AAP will keep working for poor and marginalised people. Those who have problem in this can leave the party. Mr Khaira was trying to weaken party and was openly revolting against the party since then. He tried to break party. Which organization can tolerate such behaviour?”
Khaira resigned after calling Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal as one with a “dictatorial attitude”. Responding to the allegations, Sisodia said “Arvind Kejriwal ji always says that those who have come for position or power should leave the party. He was always clamouring for position and power.”
Khaira, who was suspended from AAP for alleged “anti-party activities” and for “continuously attacking central and state leadership” in November last year, is expected to launch his new political party Punjab Democratic Alliance on January 8 in Chandigarh. Last month, he had announced the formation of the party with Lok Insaaf Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, suspended AAP MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhi and other ‘like-minded parties’ in the state.
Just days ago, senior advocate HS Phoolka had also resigned from the primary membership of the party. The Indian Express reported that a key reason for Phoolka’s resignation is the failure of the central leadership to take problems in the Punjab unit seriously and to react to feedback.
