AAP Punjab MLA’s Led By Former Leader Of Opposition Declare ‘Independence’ From Central Leadership

Dissenting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs yesterday (2 August) held a convention of volunteers in Bathinda and declared the state unit as autonomous, Mint has reported. The convention, led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, former leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly, passed a resolution asking the state unit to take decisions independent of Delhi leadership.

“The people of Punjab will decide their fate. We have assembled here to take a decision. We have assembled here to continue the same wave that was meant to change the state. People here are suffering. We will go with like-minded parties and change the future of Punjab,” Khaira said at the meeting.

The decision to remove Sukhpal Singh Khaira as the leader of the opposition in the assembly, a move opposed by several AAP MLAs, is being seen as the cause of the revolt.

Other senior AAP leaders, however, called the event as an “anti-party” activity.

“There is no split in the party. There is some misunderstanding among leaders. The Punjab unit of the party has always been autonomous. We have now decided not to take action against the leaders. The people of Punjab had voted seeing the autonomy in the party,” AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema and the new leader of opposition in the Punjab assebly said.

AAP unit in Punjab has seen constant infighting after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apologised to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. AAP has 20 members in the Punjab assembly making it the the opposition party in the state.