LIVE AAP Crisis: Anjali Damania quits party; BJP says Kejriwal's real face stands exposed
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader quit the party saying she had joined the party backing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's principles and not for horse-trading.
The crisis in the AAP deepened on Wednesday with senior party leader from Mumbai Anjali Damania quitting the party in the wake of reports that Arvind Kejriwal allegedly tried to poach Congress MLAs to form the government in the national capital last year.
Damania, known to be close to Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, lashed out at the party leadership saying she had backed the AAP chief for "principles" and not "horse-trading".
AAP's Maharashtra unit leader, Damania, had on March 7 sought disciplinary action against national executive member Mayank Gandhi, who in a blog post had claimed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal insisted on the ouster of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the party’s political affairs committee.
Kejriwal has no principle, his real face stands exposed: BJP
BJP said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's real face, that of someone without any principle and hungry for power, stands exposed today after an audio tape surfaced where he is purportedly heard talking about splitting the Congress to form the government in 2013.
BJP said Kejriwal tried to project himself as "different" whereas he was not, and proved to be like any other politician hungry for power. It said with this expose, the claims of senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav that Kejriwal only wanted power have also been proved to be right.
Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav issue joint statement; reject allegations
Ousted members of AAP's PAC Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan today rebutted the allegations of anti-party activities levelled against them by the party's top brass and raised questions about the 'unilateral decisions' by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.
The duo, in a joint letter to volunteers, however, hoped to work for party unity in future as it was an "opportunity to strengthen" AAP, saying the organisation was much bigger than any individual. The letter gives point by point clarifications to all the points raised against them by top brass of the AAP including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Gopal Rai. Read more
“AAP is not a political party. It was a ray of hope for this country as thousands of people had slogged for it,” she added.
AAP Rift: Bhushan, Yadav write a letter to party supporters
New Delhi, Mar. 11 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan on Wednesday wrote a letter to the party supporters as a reply to the accusations made by the AAP in a media statement on Tuesday.
“Yesterday four of our colleagues gave a statement. After that, I and Prashant Bhushan welcomed the statement and we will clear our stand in a letter,” said Yogendra Yadav.
“This letter will be released on Email, Facebook, Twitter etc and is to clear doubts of AAP workers and supporters,” he added.
In June 2014, Damania had announced her resignation from AAP, however, she withdrew her resignation on the same day.
Damania had come into the limelight for accusing Union Minister Nitin Gadkari of misusing his political contacts to usurp agricultural land in Khursapur for his firm Purti Power and Sugar Ltd (PPSL). She contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but lost BJP's Nitin Gadkari.
Arvind Kejriwal tried to poach 6 Congress MLAs last year, claims ex-AAP MLA
In a murky twist to the raging infighting in the AAP, former party MLA Rajesh Garg on Wednesday accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of trying to poach six Congress MLAs to form government last year. He also claimed that Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was in touch with the Congress MLAs to lure them to float a new party and support AAP from outside. Read more
Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan have written a letter to AAP volunteers following a signature campaign within AAP seeking their removal from the party.
Nearly 50 legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday drafted a letter for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking expulsion of party ‘rebels’ Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. The campaign is being undertaken by Kapil Mishra, the AAP MLA from Karawal Nagar, who said he has so far got a positive "response" from fellow party MLAs. "I will give this petition, with the support of our MLAs, to Arvind (Kejriwal) ji once he comes back. I have spoken to all our MLAs and they have agreed to sign the petition," said Mishra, who also called for "exemplary action" against those found to be involved in anti-party activities.
Transport and Rural Development Minister of Delhi and AAP member Gopal Rai has said the allegations will be discussed in a party meeting.
ANI reports that AAP has assigned Preeti Menon to talk Damania.
With agency inputs.