The group of seven rebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators got a boost on Monday with another member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) joining sacked leader of opposition, Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s camp.
Addressing a press conference in the presence of Khaira, Garhshankar MLA Jai Krishan Singh Rodi said he was joining their group as the Central leadership was ignoring the voice of the state unit.
With the inclusion of Rodi, Khaira group now has eight legislators on its side. Apart from Khaira, others are Kanwar Sandhu (Kharar), Primal Singh (Bhadaur), Jagdev Singh Kamalu (Maur), Nazar Singh Manshahia (Mansa), Master Baldev (Jaitu) and Jagtar Singh Jagga (Raikot). AAP had won 20 seats in the 117-member House in the assembly elections last year.
Khaira’s close aide Sandhu said the group was in talks with three to four other MLAs for joining the rebel group and expected them to listen to the public sentiments soon for joining them.
Sandhu said that some volunteers had told them that Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann was also among those who were trying to stop MLAs from joining Khaira camp.
Rodi, however, asserted that the dissident MLAs will not quit the party. He said that he had got an assurance from Khaira and other MLAs that they would not join any other party. “We will continue to be in AAP,” he said.
Seven MLAs had attended the volunteers convention in Bathinda this month in which the dissident group of AAP legislators had declared the party’s Punjab unit “autonomous” and “dissolved” its current organisational structure after Khaira was removed by AAP as Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
Rodi said decisions related to Punjab should be allowed to be taken by the state unit. “I want to give a message that decisions related to Punjab unit should not be taken by Durgesh Pathak or Garry Warring (both AAP leaders),” he said.
Though Rodi asserted that he was still a “fan” of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and with AAP, Rodi said that he felt that the voice of state leaders was not being allowed to reach Kejriwal.
Welcoming Rodi, Khaira said that their fight was not meant for any individual. “This fight is for the interests of Punjab,” said the Bholath MLA adding that remaining MLAs should join the group and support their cause for decentralisation of powers in AAP. “We (Punjab leaders) should have the right to take decisions concerning Punjab,” he said.
The Khaira camp also plans to seek suggestions from volunteers through online forum on how to move forward. Meanwhile, the dissident MLAs plan to hold a volunteers convention on August 11 at Garhshankar. An event will also be organised at Issru on 15 August. Besides, another volunteers meeting will be held in Gurdaspur on 25 August, they said.