Dissidence within the AAP took concrete shape on Tuesday after the Swaraj Samvad meet called by rebel duo Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav voted in favour of staying in the party. The meet also launched a Swaraj Abhiyan to “set things right” and promote “alternative politics.”
The meeting of AAP volunteers from other States, who agree with the issues raised by the rebel duo, was held despite a veiled warning by the Arvind Kejriwal camp of action against members who attend it.
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh had said on Monday that the party’s political affairs committee and its national executive will decide the next move in this regard after the conclusion of the Swaraj Samvad, adding that “it is not a party function.”
Tuesday’s rebel meet set to rest speculation of a new party being floated, at least for now, with 70 per cent of those who attended it voting to remain with the AAP and carry out a “movement for alternative politics.”
“We are heading toward a new way which is called Swaraj Abhiyan. We will struggle on social issues,” said former AAP spokesperson Yadav, adding that the “movement will establish swaraj in cultural, political, economical and social aspects of our country.”
Bhushan, one of the founder members of the AAP who had later criticised Kejriwal for being “autocratic”, said the party had fought for transparency, but today “our accounts, RTI, names of office bearers, nothing is transparent.”
“After two years of forming the party, we have no transparency,” he alleged, adding that “we can’t even see party decisions on the party's website.”
Bhushan said in his speech that his personal opinion is to begin “a new andolan (crusade), (andolan) not a political party just yet”. On the threat of expulsion by Team Kejriwal to those who attend the meeting, Pankaj Pushkar, MLA from Timarpur, tweeted: “It’s our party as well.”
Meanwhile, civil right activists Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Medha Patkar, who were reportedly supposed to attend the meeting, stayed away from it.