New Delhi: The expected has happened. The virtual split of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is now in the public domain. Two founding members of the AAP and the top advisors of its chief Arvind Kejriwal have expressed their resentment over what is happening within the party which is still celebrating its historic, landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly polls.
On Monday morning, Ashutosh, AAP leader and a close aide of Kejriwal has tweeted admitting that it is a serious matter. His tweet said, "The decisive churning in AAP. It's clash of ideas between ultra left who demand referendum in Kashmir and pragmatic politics of welfarism". This tweet is very important and explains what is wrong with the organization. Both Professor Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan are known for their pro-Leftist views. Prashant Bhushan has been very vocal about the issues mentioned by Ashutosh. His father and a patron of the AAP Shanti Bhushan had questioned Kejriwal's style of functioning during the Assembly Delhi elections. But, Yadav had defended Kejriwal and Bhushan junior had stayed away.
According to AAP sources, 15 of the 21 members of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the AAP, the highest decision making body want both Yadav and Bhushan out. The same sources claim that Kejriwal wants to concentrate on governance in Delhi and is not keen on expanding his party across India. He also wants his top leaders to restrain from making controversial, provocative and ultra leftist remarks.
However, Yadav and Bhushan want the AAP to go national and retain its old character. But, Kejriwal wants his party to be pragmatic. It is a well-known fact that Kejriwal has absolute control over the AAP and if the matter reaches flash point, both Yadav and Bhushan can't stay in the party. Because Kejriwal reins supreme.
One of the senior advisors of the AAP, retired chief of Navy, Admiral L Ramdass has written a letter expressing concerns over lack of internal democracy in the party. Prashant Bhushan has also sent another letter expressing his views. However, he later clarified that his letter is not a revolt. He claims that he has sent that letter seeking 'structural' changes in the party.
Professor Yadav has also tweeted that he is upset over what is happening and asked the people not to spread rumours. He wrote that the people must have a big heart and larger ideas to deliver and the historic mandate should not be squandered away. He has even cancelled a scheduled press meet in New Delhi fueling more speculations.
A closer look at the party proves that the difference is not just ideological. It goes beyond that. There is a political and personal angle also to it. Kejriwal's comrades in arms - Yadav and Bhushan are upset with Kejriwal. They feel that a coterie has hijacked the AAP and the party is going against its core ideology. They are insisting on action against some AAP leaders and investigation into some AAP MLAs who allegedly used corrupt methods to woo voters. Kejriwal's camp wants to ignore such things and focus on job on hand, the administration of Delhi.
Rupa Subramanya, a Mumbai based journalist argues that some AAP individuals who cannot sensibly be called even centre left, as they're very far on the left. In an article, she said "But to really understand a political movement or party, one has to come to grips with its core ideology. In the case of AAP, the place to look is in the writings of its ideologue and chief intellectual heavyweight, Yogendra Yadav. Yadav's affiliation with the radical left in India is not a secret, although it's not exactly being shouted from the rooftops by the AAP nor for that matter being scrutinised by members of the media and other observers who may have an agenda of normalising AAP."
Commenting on the current crisis, veteran editor Shekhar Gupta has also tweeted. His tweet said "So it's taken AAP just 3 weeks in power to become one more India political party with clashes of ideology, ego, ambition & a Supreme Leader."
It is an irony that AAP leader Ashutosh is also now saying the same in his tweet. It clearly shows that the rift in the AAP may even reach a breaking point soon. If it happens, we can safely and surely say that all non-BJP and non-Congress experiments in India meet the same fate at one point or the other.
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