Spirit of AAP volunteers in Punjab dampens after infighting grabs centrestage

Chandigarh: After the Aam Aadmi Party’s superlative performance in the Delhi state elections, it looked like the party would be able to perform well in the Punjab assembly election, due in 2017. However, the ongoing infighting in the party could affect its poll prospects. Dissension in the AAP has dampened the spirit of workers in Punjab who were hoping to wrest power from the Akalis-BJP combine in the next assembly elections. It has also led to disappointment among the youth, a big support group of the party.[caption id=“attachment_2188741” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. Image courtesy: IBNLive[/caption] With the anti-incumbency factor growing against the Akali-BJP coalition after their 10-years-old rule and the Congress still in disarray, AAP seemed poised to take over power in Punjab. It is the only state where the AAP had done well in the last general elections, All four of its MPs are from this state. The party had raised great expectations after it stupendous victory in Delhi, but things look different on the ground now. AAP leaders had earlier thrown a challenge to the ruling SAD for the 2017 elections in Punjab. “Forming AAP government in Delhi means we will form government in Punjab too,” the party leaders had claimed, while reacting to SAD chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s statement that “AAP’s performance in Delhi would have no ramifications in Punjab”. According to Himanshu Pathak, an AAP leader in Delhi, when the party formed the government in Delhi a year ago AAP had just 45,000 members in Punjab. But now there are more than three lakh registered members across Punjab and the number is growing day by day. A more conclusive picture can be drawn from the fact that during the Lok Sabha elections, AAP candidates gained lead in 34 assembly seats. This is a very positive sign, feel APP leaders. Former member of the national executive committee professor Manjit Singh, said the picture of AAP’s plan of action in the forthcoming election in Punjab will become clear after the ‘Swaraj Smvad programme’ in Gurgaon on 14 April. “It is an open meeting and any member of AAP can join the discussion to decide the next course of action,” he told Firstpost. AAP spokesman Rajiv Godara, who has openly come out in support of senior party leader from Haryana, Yogendra Yadav, said that it was in the interest of the party to remain united, but some leaders were hell bent on capturing power even if it destroyed the democratic spirit in the party. Godara said if AAP has to do well in the next Vidhan Sabha elections in Punjab then it must start preparing in the right spirit. “The party must reach out to the people, know and understand their problems and issues and take up these matters with the administration with a view to resolving them. The party must prepare leaders who have potential to perform well in the election. Without such a preparation, prospects would be dim,” he said. He denied speculations that Yadav was going to quit AAP and form a new party with his supporters after the 14 April ‘Samvad’ meeting in Gurgaon. “Yadav is not interested in forming a new party. In fact, he wants to strengthen the AAP. Yogendra Yadav is still working towards reconciliation with the Kejriwal group so that remaining united it could do well in state elections in Punjab and elsewhere,” he said. In Punjab, AAP MPs are divided over the present rift in the cental leadership of the party after the ouster of Yadav and Prashant Bhushan from the national executive. This could have a negative effect on the party’s volunteers. Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi appears to be close to Yadav and two others Bhagwant Singh Mann (Sangrur), Harinder Singh Khalsa (Fatehgarh Sahib) are considered close to Kejriwal. Stand of Faridkot MP Sadhu Singh is not very clear. AAP’s national executive member from Haryana, Naveen Jaihind, who is a strong critic of Yogendra Yadav, claims that a majority of the party leaders and workers were with Kejriwal. However, recently when both Naveen Jaihind and Yogendra Yadav held parallel meeting in Chandigarh, it was Yadav who drew a better response. According to Yadav, one of the main demands of their group is empowering of AAP’s state units to take decisions on issues like local, panchayat and state election. Last year, Kejriwal had rejected the demand of Yadav and other state leaders to contest the Haryana assembly elections. As far as election in Punjab is concerned, Bhagwant Mann said the party has decided to strengthen its organisational base in the state. “Two rebels cannot make or break any party. I know the masses are with the party and not with the two (Yadav, Bhushan),” he said. Dharamvira Gandhi feels the prospect of AAP in Punjab will depend on how it deals with factionalism. Punjab AAP convener, Sucha Singh said the people of Punjab are with AAP and that is what matters.