AAP councilors protest against cancellation of mayoral polls
The party may move the court after taking legal opinion on the matter, said AAP leader Durgesh Pathak.
A day after he was ousted as Leader of Opposition by the Aam Aadmi Party, Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Friday met about 8-9 legislators of his party in Chandigarh. Among the AAP MLAs who met Khaira were Kanwar Sandhu (Kharar), Pirmal Singh (Bhadaur), Nazer Singh Mansahia (Mansa), Jagdev Singh Kamalu (Maur) and Jagtar Singh (Raikot). A couple of more were also expected to meet Khaira.
Earlier, Sandhu had quit as spokesperson of the party, apparently in protest of Khaira’s unceremonious ouster. Of the 18 MLAs, as many as eight AAP legislators are siding with Khaira, it is learnt.
The rebel group is also planning to hold a state-level convention on 2 August in Bathinda.
Advertisement
On Thursday, AAP removed Sukhpal Singh Khaira was as Leader of Opposition (LoP) and appointed first-time Dalit legislator Harpal Singh Cheema in his place. The decision comes days after Khaira accused state co-president Dr Balbir Singh of conspiring and backstabbing against him in order to get him removed as LoP.
Before this, 16 AAP leaders, mostly belonging to the faction led by Khaira, resigned en masse in protest against the ‘dictatorial attitude’ of AAP Punjab’s co-president Dr Balbir Singh who is running the state unit.
Reacting to his removal through a tweet, Khaira said he has discharged his duty as LoP with uttermost sincerity, dedication and fearlessness. “If speaking the truth and espousing the cause of Punjab, Punjabis cost me LoP (post), I am prepared let go 100 such positions. Those at the helm have done what Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party wanted,” Khaira said in the tweet.
Khaira’s removal was announced by AAP leader and party’s Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia in a tweet. “AAP has decided to change its leader of opposition in Punjab. Harpal Singh Cheema, MLA from Dirba, constituency shall be leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly,” he said in the tweet.
On his part, the new LoP, Cheema, thanked party chief Arvind Kejriwal for showing faith in him.
Advertisement
