State AAP wants Bhushan, Yadav back

Guwahati: Expulsion of party leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan has resulted in infighting between the state unit and the central leadership of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Describing the expulsion of the senior leaders as ‘undemocratic’, the working committee of the party’s state unit blamed a section of central leaders, led by party chief Arvind Kejriwal, for the removal of Yadav and Bhushan.
A meeting of party activists held recently has termed AAP’s ‘Mission Vistaar’ as a ‘flop show’ in Assam. They have decided to constitute elected committees at the block and district level.
“The state working committee of the party has decided to fight in a democratic manner. We want to bring back all the leaders of the party who have been expelled in an undemocratic way,” said spokesperson of the state unit of AAP, Manoram Gogoi in a statement issued on Friday.
Gogoi said discussing Swaraj, alternate politics and criticizing the functioning of the party leaders cannot be termed ‘anti-party’.
“AAP’s working committee in Assam will support those who come forward to attain Swaraj and strive for alternate politics,” added Gogoi.
At a recent meeting of party volunteers, the state unit resolved that all meetings of AAP should be held in a democratic and transparent way. The meeting also proposed that entry of media should be allowed.
Party insiders, however, said infighting in the state unit of AAP began because some party leaders want to bring back the expelled duo to revamp the party, especially in Assam, ahead of the assembly polls scheduled next year.
“Yogendra Yadav has old connections with the northeast. Some AAP leaders in Assam want the party to bring him and Bhushan back. They are ready to fight it out with the central leadership,” said a party insider. Activist Bhaben Handique, who was the joint coordinator of the state unit of the party, resigned from AAP after Yadav and Bhusan were expelled.