Dissident AAP leaders call for consultations

The meeting would also serve to challenge main AAP party by drawing like-minded volunteers to its fold

Dissident party leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan have called for a national consultation on April 14 after their removal from the Aam Aadmi Party’s national executive.

The meeting, ostensibly a brainstorming session, will challenge the party by drawing like-minded volunteers. The AAP’s parliamentary party leader in the Lok Sabha, Dharamvir Gandhi, who had spoken out against muzzling of dissent, will attend the meeting as will Pankaj Pushkar and Devendra Sherawat, MLAs from Timarpur and Bijwasan, respectively.

The Bhushan-Yadav camp is not mooting a separate political outfit but is not ruling one out too. “We should concentrate on issues and movements rather than forming a political party,” Bhushan said.

Among the dissident leaders ousted from the national executive are Ajit Jha and Anand Kumar. The dissidents are reaching out to the 54 national council members who abstained from voting on the resolution against them at last week’s meeting.

“Despite claiming to be a volunteer-driven party, there is no scope for volunteers to put across their views. We need to discuss with volunteers and hear their views and whether they see a role for themselves in the party,” Jha told Business Standard.

Several AAP members have voiced their concern on the expulsion of the party’s founding members. Maharashtra AAP leader Maruti Bhapkar is threatening to quit.

Several other leaders from the state are reviewing their association with the party.  Social activist Medha Patkar, who resigned from the AAP over the weekend, is likely to attend the meeting. Sources said the group intended to float an organisation to take up issues of mass concern like the land acquisition bill and the anti-corruption campaign.

If the AAP led by Arvind Kejriwal attempts disciplinary action against elected leaders they will continue to remain MPs and MLAs. A gag order is out on party leaders speaking to the media.