Mass resignations likely to affect the party’s growth prospects in Maharashtra.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Maharashtra unit is unhappy with the functioning of party head Arvind Kejriwal as more than 350 leaders from the state tendered their resignation from the party. Ever since AAP expelled Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav there has been a split in the party with some leaders supporting Kejriwal while others supporting the ‘Samwad’ movement spearheaded by Yadav. The party had recently warned that it will distance itself from the members supporting the Samvad movement. The Maharashtra unit leaders were not pleased with Kejriwal’s dictatorial attitude and the leaders from the state was always sidelined by the party. The Delhi unit of AAP never gave a free hand for the state unit leaders to grow and always interfered with its functioning. AAP Maharashtra leader Mayank Gandhi, who spearheaded the Anna Andolan in the state, has already revolted against the “dictatorial” attitude of Kejriwal. Most of the leaders have played a vital role in the growth of AAP in Maharashtra and their exit is likely to affect the party.
“As many as 350 volunteers and leaders resigned from AAP and this figure would go up when we will start to sensitise everyone about democracy being murdered in AAP,” said Maruti Bhapkar, former state executive committee member of AAP unit in Maharashtra.
Bhapkar led the workers in the mass resignation programme held in Pune.
“We are now with Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan to strengthen their hands to afloat the concept of Swaraj throughout the country in true sense,” he added.
“You can think about the insensitivity of so-called leader Arvind Kejriwal that a farmer died before his eyes and he kept on his political speech,” Bhapkar said.
“Not only from Pune, but volunteers from Mumbai, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Aurangabad, Navi Mumbai etc also had come to Pune to quit AAP,” he added.
Manav Kamble, another former senior leader from AAP, has also joined hands with Bhapkar.
Sources said that about 50 active volunteers of AAP’s Gurgaon unit too have resigned from the party.
Meanwhile, party national spokesperson and senior state leader Preeti Sharma Menon downplayed the resignations and said that it won’t affect the party. She said, “AAP Maharashtra is a very strong organisation. 350 is a highly exaggerated figure. It is about 20 to 30 people who had gone for Swaraj Samwad in April. It is a bit sad that people choose to part aways but it really will make no difference to the party and our support in this state is not based on individuals. It is on the concept of AAP.”
“Only handful party workers are leaving the party and that comprises no senior leaders or workers. So I don’t think that they would leave any impact on the party,” said Ravi Srivastava, member of State Executive Committee.
On April 21, AAP on April 21 had expelled Yogendra Yadav along with Prashant Bhushan, Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha for gross indiscipline and anti-party activities.
